Scarlet Moon
by Jo-9tails
Summary: In the light of the moon did his true love show. RanxKen, YoujixOmi Finished: Unbeta'ed version
1. Part 1

Disclaimer: All (okay, _most_) of the characters mentioned belong to the animé series Weiss Kreuz. The plot is taken from the book _Scarlet Moon _by Debbie Viguié. ALL credit goes to her. ... Please don't sue me?

Summary: Ken's grandmother lives in the forest, banished there for the "evil" that the townsfolk believed she practiced. Amidst these dark days, a new man enters his life. Ran is a noble with a hot temper and a bad name, and yet he makes him shiver. But the young Lord is prey to his heritage, a curse placed on his family ages ago. Now Ken must come face-to-face with his destiny at Grandma's house…

**_Scarlet Moon_ **

By _Ninetails_

Chapter 1

The woods were changing. The cycle of death had begun yet again. What were once proud, green trees now stood half-naked, clothed only in hues of fire and gold. Their gnarled branches stretched downward toward the faint path that wound below. Upon it a young boy with pale skin and dark hair walked side by side with his older brother, unaware of the wolf that was stalking them. The trees saw though, and whispered a warning as the wind rattled their remaining leaves.

The little boy was skipping along, his scarlet cloak fluttering in the chill air. It was the color of blood and it drew the wolf in closer. Flitting like a gray ghost, it slunk along behind the trees, just steps behind them, and watched. The boy turned, as though he heard what the trees were whispering, and shivered a little. Feeling his movement, the older boy glanced back as well, his longish blonde locks swaying in the breeze. The wolf circled them warily until he stood on the path before them.

When the children turned back, the wolf was there. It lunged forward, it's powerful jaw sinking razor fangs into the smaller boy's legs. The boy screamed as the force of the beast knocked him down, his own blood spraying up into his suddenly pallid face. He struggled to sit and came face to face with the monster.

Beside him, the older boy raised his dagger in the air, one quick movement, before plunging it into the wolf's chest. The creature cried out in pain and let go of its prey. It jumped back, blood gushing from the wound, and stared at them for a moment before turning and staggering off into the trees.

The trees shook sympathetically, showering down leaves upon the children, covering both them and the trail left by the injured wolf. As night drew near, the trees continued to shiver, urging the children to run home, and whispering another warning.

It wasn't safe in the woods after dark.

Ken clung to Youji as the taller boy staggered out of the forest carrying him. With every step his older brother took he screamed, a fresh wave of pain washing over him. They stumbled toward the village, shouting. From their tiny homes the villagers spilled forth, drawn by their cries.

"Help! Wolf!" Youji continued to shout, panic evident in his voice as he cradled the shivering form of his brother against his chest.

From the nearest hut their father, Reiji, came running, fear straining his features. "Children!" he shouted, the fear in his voice clear to Ken even through the roaring in his ears. He felt his arms reaching for him.

"My legs are on fire, Father," he whimpered, his throat raw from crying, "Put it out."

"You're not on fire, child."

"But I can feel it. It's burning me," he sobbed. Slowly his vision faded, but he could still hear his father's rough voice calling his name. He tried to answer but couldn't. In his mind he pictured once again the wolf that had attacked him, from the silken gray of his fur to the piercing violet of his eyes.

_I never knew wolves had violet eyes_, he thought before darkness claimed him, the worried green of his brother's eyes the last things he saw.

When Ken awoke, sunlight was streaming into his eyes, and his legs still felt as though they were on fire. His first sense was one of fear, and he cried out.

"Hush, little one, you are safe," a familiar voice said soothingly. His brother stood over him, his handsome face twisted as if he were in pain.

"What is wrong, Youji?" he asked.

The taller boy picked his frail body up, hugging him. "Thank God you're awake," he whispered against his soft cheek.

"You're tickling me," Ken protested.

His brother laughed and laid him back down. "You had us all frightened, little one."

"Am I going to die?" Ken asked, the fear still tugging at his heart.

"No, God be praised," his father said from the doorway.

Ken turned to look at his broad figure and saw tears streaming down his cheeks. The sight frightened him more than the pain he felt or the memory of the wolf that had inflicted it.

His father turned away from him, and his voice was muffled as he continued. "You will be alright. You will even walk again, though the scars will remain."

His father's words frightened him still more, and he struggled to sit up. Youji pushed against his shoulders, trying to hold him down, but he fought him. His fingers clawed at his brother's hands and he scratched him. At last he rose up on his elbows just as his blanket slid to the floor.

He stared in horror at what was left of his legs. They were crisscrossed with angry red wounds. Whole chunks of flesh were missing, and the marks of the wolf's teeth were clearly visible.

He dimly heard Youji's voice telling him that everything was going to be fine. _How can it be? _Ken thought, his horror mounting with each passing second.

"I'm hideous!"

"No! Listen to me. You are still the Ken we love and you will heal in time."

Ken nodded for his brother's sake because he could hear the pain and the fear in his voice, and it broke his heart. He would be strong for him. In his heart, though, he didn't believe him.

A movement in the corner of the room caught his eye, and he turned to glance at a cloaked figure standing in the shadows. _Grandmother? _he wondered for one wild moment. But it couldn't be, because his grandmother lived in the forest and wasn't allowed to come into the village - ever.

Outside, he heard a commotion, many voices mingled together in excited shouting. He turned away from the cloaked figure as his father strode to the door and flung it open. He stood for a moment before turning with a satisfied nod. "They have the wolf."

"I want to see it," Ken quavered, fear and hatred filling him.

"So you shall," Youji said swooping him up into his arms. He carried him tenderly outside. Coming up the path was a group of men who wore tired yet triumphant looks.

"We followed the trail of blood," his cousin, Kase, shouted from the head of the troupe. "We lost it, but when we searched the area, we found this wolf, already dead. He died of the wound you gave him, Youji."

Ken tightened his grip around Youji's neck, his heart beginning to pound in fear as he caught sight of the monstrous gray brute. They dropped the wolf at Youji's feet with great ceremony.

Kase reached out to touch Ken's hand. A year younger than his brother, he was still several years older than Ken was. His cousin's parents died a year before, and he had been living with them since. He had grown much in that time, his body beginning to make the transition from boy to man, as evidenced by his expanding shoulders and increasing confidence.

"I cut off the wolf's paw for you to keep," Kase told him.

"I don't want it," Ken whispered. "You keep it."

Slowly he looked down at the body of the wolf. It was ugly, its fur splattered with streaks of dried blood and its tongue hanging out the side of its mouth. Its fangs were covered with bits of flesh. At last Ken looked into its eyes, which were wide open and staring. They were lifeless, like two little pieces of round yellow glass.

_Yellow._

A chill went through him and he buried his head against Youji's shoulder. "It's not the same wolf."

Something was wrong; he could feel it. Two weeks had passed since the wolf had attacked, and in that time he had felt closer to his brother than ever before. He had been by his side constantly, warm and caring. The last few hours though, he had seemed cold and aloof.

"Again," Youji commanded, sitting by the hearth and extending his arms toward him.

Ken struggled up from the edge of his bed, trying to stand. At last he gained his footing. With pain shooting through his legs, he tried to hobble using the crutch his brother had made for him. Since before dawn he had Ken up, trying to get him to move around using only the crutch. He was getting tired and angry.

Halfway to the hearth Ken began to loose his footing and fell onto a chair.

"I can't do it!" he exclaimed as his crutch fell to the ground.

"You can and you must!"

"I'm tired. I'll work on it more tomorrow."

"No, you'll work on it today."

"Why? Why today?" Ken demanded almost childishly, brown eyes flashing.

"Because tomorrow will be too late," Youji said, standing so suddenly he knocked over his chair.

"Why?"

His brother sighed and dropped his eyes to the floor. After a moment he crossed over and knelt beside him. "Ken, the duke has sent a call for men to join him as he marches to fight in a crusade against the infidels holding Jerusalem."

"What has this to do with you?" Ken whispered though he feared that in his heart, he already knew the truth.

"Kase and I are going. We have heard the call and it has resonated in our hearts. We will join the duke and the prince."

"But you are blacksmiths, not knights."

"And they need those more desperately even than warriors. We will help build and repair weapons and armor, and shoe horses. If need be, we will fight as well."

"You are leaving tomorrow, aren't you?" he asked, his voice trembling.

"The army leaves at first light. We are traveling to the castle tonight to join it."

Ken threw his arms around his brother's neck and clung to his lean form, terror filling him. "Don't go," he begged.

"I have to," Youji said. "They need me."

"I need you," he countered.

"No, you are strong. You do not need me to look after you anymore. But Father will need you now more than ever. You must promise me that you will help him. Promise me that you won't leave him. He might not be able to bear it the second time."

Ken's tears spilled out freely, running down his cheeks and soaking his shirt. "I can't."

"You can, little one," Youji said, pulling away and staring into his brown eyes. "You are strong and brave. Not even the wolf could beat you."

He shivered at the mention of the creature and began to cry even harder, "But you were there to protect me."

From his belt he pulled his dagger – the very one he had used upon the wolf. He placed it in his younger brother's palm and wrapped his fingers around its hilt. "I will still protect you, so long as you carry this with you."

He stared from it to his brother's beautiful emerald eyes, praying to find the words that would make him stay. A shadow fell across the room and he turned. Kase stood in the doorway, a sack on his back.

"I will miss you, Ken," his cousin said, his voice trembling.

He held out his arms to Kase and he came to him, hugging him tightly. Then the three of them hugged, all of them crying.

Finally, Kase pulled away. "It's time to go," he said softly, and Youji nodded.

"But Father – "

"We said our good-byes this morning," Youji assured him.

"He knew and he did not tell me!"

"We agreed it would be better this way. Nothing is to be gained by lengthy good-byes."

Youji stood and crossed to a corner, picking up a sack that Ken hadn't noticed sitting there. He threw it across his broad back before bending to kiss the top of his head.

"Be strong," he whispered. He turned to Kase, and without another word the two of them left.

Ken sat, shaking and staring at nothing, for several moments. When he could no longer hear the sound of their footsteps, he stood slowly, using the chair for support.

He picked up his crutch and began to hobble painfully. Every step sent pain up his legs, and he bit his lip to keep from crying out. A few steps and he made it through the door. Outside, the road was a river of mud winding between the houses and scattered shops. Smoke curled from all the chimneys, and people walked by quickly, their heads bowed and their spirits dampened by the recent rains.

The thick brown ooze clutched at his boots, and each time he pulled them free the motion was accompanied by a loud sucking sound. Slowly, step by painful step, he made his way to his father's blacksmith shop. Reiji was already there; he could hear his hammer ringing out against steel – strong, angry-sounding strokes.

His father glanced up at him as he entered, but he said not a word. Slowly, Ken made his way over to the forge. A steel blade sat in the fire, the metal becoming soft and pliable. With tongs he pulled it out and placed it upon an anvil.

He leaned his body against a stone pillar and propped his crutch up against the back of it. He reached down and picked up his brother's hammer. The feel of it in his hand brought a fresh wave of tears to his eyes. It was heavy, but he lifted it high into the air. As he slammed it down upon the glowing steel he met his father's eyes. Reiji nodded slowly and then turned back to his own blade. Together they hammered far into the night.

TBC

Author's Notes:

Can you guess which fairy tale this is based on? Sorry for making this more macabre than usual. It's a bit short but I promise that chapter 2 is coming up quickly… around a month or ten. (hastily ducks various flying pointy and blunt objects) Err, I'm gonna post chapters as soon as I get them back from my beta. Rest assured that all questions will be answered in the succeeding chapters. If they're not… too bad. Nyahahaha! (gomen, typing this after drinking a Rhumba frappe from Starbuck's…)


	2. Part 2

Disclaimer: All characters mentioned belong in the animé series Weiss Kreuz. The plot is taken from the book _Scarlet Moon _by Debbie Viguié. ALL credit goes to her. Please don't sue me…?

SO, what's up in this chapter? Surprise appearances of _very _strange people (wink). Enjoy!

**Scarlet Moon **

By _Ninetails_

Chapter 2

_Nine years later _

The trees moaned and sighed as below them a deer died a sudden, violent death, its life taken by another creature. Claws and teeth slashed at the animal, rending flesh. There was nothing the trees could do but stand and watch and worry. The creature below them tore into the deer, devouring it as quickly as it could. _What a disturbance; what a tragedy; how very unnatural._

* * *

Ken slammed the hammer down on his thumb and choked back an oath. _Why are you so clumsy this morning? _he chided himself. 

He plunged his hand into a bucket of cool water nearby. After a couple of minutes he pulled it out and crossed to a bottle that sat on a shelf across the room. He picked it up, squeezed a thick liquid on his thumb, and slowly rubbed it in. The scent of chamomile, geraniums, lavender, lemon, myrrh, and rose filled his nostrils. The remedy was his grandmother's recipe, and it was designed to alleviate swelling. Years before, Ken had started keeping a supply of it on hand in the shop. Every finger knew it well.

He let out his breath slowly, forcing himself to relax. After a minute, he stared gingerly at his hand. He grimaced at what he saw. It was rough and red and laced with scars. Through the years, he had broken three fingers, but thanks to more of his grandmother's treatments and care, none of them were crooked.

He sighed and closed his eyes, hearing snatches of local gossip in his head. "He is a well-formed lad, but his heritage destroys him. He is spawn of a vile creature. I would never let my daughter near him. I don't think he will eve get married!" "Yes, and pity that. He also seems like a coward, not presenting himself to join the Crusade and such. What a shame!" The women of the village thought he didn't know, didn't hear them talking about him. He heard, though, and the words hurt.

_I can fight against a sword, or fists, but I don't know how to fight against words_, he thought bitterly. _Worse, I know it hurts Father, though he would never say._

Ken clenched his fist and watched the muscles in his forearms jump. The years of his being a blacksmith had honed his body well. Constant exposure to the forge's heat had given him a tanned sheen, although the numerous accidents he met in his work has taken a toll on him. He still thought that his brown hair and brown eyes were too commonplace for anyone to take notice of him though.

"When Youji returns, there will be time enough for me to worry about marriage," he muttered to himself. It was an old mantra, but it still gave him strength. He didn't let himself think about what would happen if his brother never did return. Eventually he would – he must. Just six months before, a young man had returned to his home in the village. He said that the fighting was still raging. Knowing his brother, he wouldn't return until it was done. Until then, he would continue to help his father and pray for his brother's safe return.

He glanced down to see his muscled arms still had scars from his work with the tanner's knives. He was not ashamed of those; after all, he earned every one of those scars. Thinking of them was enough to make his legs begin to ache. He grimaced as he sat down on a barrel and rubbed them. _Those scars I didn't earn_, he thought grimly. There was nothing about them to be proud of. His thoughts flashed, as they often did, to the wolf that had caused them. _I wonder if he's still alive out there?_

Ken shook his head to rid it of the question. The woods held enough terror for him without him allowing thoughts like that in. _No, he probably died long ago. _That thought did give him a great deal of satisfaction, and he stood, ready to continue working.

He crossed to the anvil and bent to pick up his hammer. A shadow darkened the door and he glanced up. A man stood there, his form thin beneath travel-stained clothes. His brown hair was unkempt and some of it straggled to his shoulders in a shaggy do.

"What can I do for you, stranger?" he asked.

"I guess I would seem a stranger to your eyes, but I know you, Ken," he said, his voice cracked. "Though when I last saw you, your appearance was less that of a handsome man and more that of a scrawny kid."

Ken wrapped his good hand around a metal rod used to stoke the fire. "Who are you?" he asked warily. He stood his ground as the strange man advanced.

When he got close enough that he could see his eyes, Ken froze. "Kase?" he whispered.

The wraith before him nodded. "What's left of me."

"Kase!" he cried, dropping the poker and flying to him.

"Careful!" his cousin exclaimed as his now taller form hugged him fiercely.

"Sorry," Ken laughed, pulling back slightly. He couldn't believe the boy he remembered had grown into the man before him. Only his eyes were the same – a soft dark brown, shot through with lighter golden browns. Even they had changed, though; a shadow was in them that had not been there before.

He glanced over his shoulder to the open door. Would his brother stride through next? Several seconds elapsed and he could feel disappointment curling like a serpent in the pit of his stomach.

Kase just continued to stare at him, and tears slowly began to trickle down his cheeks. He looked as though he were struggling to speak. Finally he gave up and just shook his head.

"Come," he said, still gripping his cousin's arms. "I must take you to see my father. We will dine and you will tell us everything."

He nodded before clasping his hands once more. After a moment he pulled away with a pained laugh. "Lead on, Ken."

He smiled self-consciously, brushing off his trousers hastily. Quickly, he dampened the fire in the forge and checked to make sure nothing else needed immediate tending. Satisfied, he took Kase's arm and led him from the shop toward his home.

Warm memories of childhood filled him as they walked. He watched Kase as he looked around him with eyes that seemed slightly bewildered. He caught him watching and gave him a ghost of a smile.

"I never thought I would see this place again. Somehow I expected it to be different, changed."

"Like you?" Ken asked gently.

"Strange, the thoughts one has when far from home."

"Well, you're back now, safe. You can put such thoughts behind you."

"One day, maybe," he admitted. "But that day seems far away."

His cousin's words struck him strange, but his worry for his brother pushed them away.

Suddenly, a man cried out, "Kase!" and rushed toward them. Kase jerked and twisted toward the sound. He relaxed visibly after a moment.

"Hello, Marcus," he called good-naturedly.

Marcus embraced him and then turned. "Kase has returned from the crusades!" he shouted.

Within moments people were streaming from their homes, shouting Kase's name and rushing forward to touch him. Two men lifted him high into the air and paraded him up and down the street, laughing with joy. Ken's father rushed up and they delivered Kase into his arms. He crushed his nephew with a happy cry, and Ken felt tears burning his eyes.

_Kase is the returning hero, but where is my brother and when may we welcome him home? _He shook his head, willing himself to be patient just a while longer. _Kase will surely have news._

Down the road his father led the impromptu parade honoring his nephew. Ken began to walk slowly, trailing behind. In his heart a nameless fear began to form, and he felt as though a shadow had passed over him. No matter what he did, he could not shake the thought that some darkness was about to touch them all.

When he entered his home, he found his father and Kase already seated at the table. He joined them and within minutes they were all eating. He watched Kase under lowered lashes as his cousin wolfed down his food. He attacked it, eating so much so fast that he thought surely he would explode.

Out of courtesy, his father said nothing and neither did he. Instead they both ate and watched and waited. At last Kase pushed back his plate and shifted in his chair. He lifted his eyes and they darted between Ken and his father.

"Thank you," he said. Hesitantly, he continued, "It is good to see you both, to be here again."

"You are a welcome sight to us," his father answered gruffly. Ken glanced at him in time to see him wipe away a tear.

They sat for a moment, the silence thick with unasked questions and answers they were all afraid to hear. Finally Ken broke it. "Tell us your story."

Kase nodded slowly. "We sailed to Spain. It was a long journey and many died along the way. From there we sailed to France , and then down the Mediterranean Sea to Acre. There we fought. Some of us went on to Jerusalem, but many did not."

"And what of Youji?" Ken asked at last, unable to bear it any longer.

Kase said not a word, but instead dropped his head into his hands and began to sob brokenly. Ken stared fearfully across the table at his father, who held his eyes only for a moment before turning away.

"What of Youji?" Ken asked again, his voice trembling.

"One night, there was a covert attack. Most of us were tired or injured from the battle earlier in the morning. When we realized that we were under attack, it was too late. Most of the troops were killed, and some…."

Ken's eyes widened, feeling his face blanch at the suspense.

"Some of the men were captured by the heathens. It was said that their prisoners of war didn't survive a night. We… didn't find Youji among the bodies, and his sword was missing from his bedroll so he must've had a fighting chance, at least," Kase finished with barely contained anguish, his voice weakening until it broke. He let out a series of gasps before his sobs overwhelmed him.

All Ken could do was stare at him as he was talking. Over and over in his mind he told himself that it couldn't be true, even as the emptiness in his heart convinced him that it was. He didn't look at his father; he just couldn't look. Youji was missing. He was left in the Holy Land where the infidels lay to ravish the noble people who were living out a noble mission. He might even have… died. What unspeakable horrors have befallen him in the hand of the barbarians, they could only imagine. They had both known it could happen. If he was honest with himself he had suspected it for years, but there had always been a part of him that held on to hope. Jerusalem was far away and the battle was doubtless long and hard.

He stared down at his hands and noticed in an almost detached way that his fingernails were cutting into his palms and drawing blood. He forced himself to relax his fingers. Tiny droplets of blood beaded on his hands and fell onto his pants. That didn't matter, though. Nothing mattered.

"Everyone loved Youji," Kase continued. "He was always the one to turn to for comfort. He helped save so many. He even saved the duke's life. He was so grateful he gave Youji some of his own armor to wear, marked with the duke's seal. I brought it back with me; I found it in one of his packs that we have recovered in the battle. He would have wanted you to have it."

He then reached into his bag and pulled out a breastplate. He offered it to Ken and he took it with trembling hands. The duke's seal, that of a crescent moon, was emblazoned on the front. He had seen it's like before. He passed his hand over it and then cried out as he took a closer look. There was a red stain splashed across half of the moon.

He stared in horror, the hair along the back of his neck on end and a sick feeling beginning to overwhelm him. At long last he looked up, his eyes seeking out Kase's.

"It's his blood," Kase said, confirming his fear.

* * *

The fog lay heavy upon the land, covering all in a shroud of gray. Death hung thick and rank in the air and Ken could smell the blood of some woodland creature that had been freshly slain in the night. The earth itself was dying, the cycle of the year coming to an end as one by one the days of autumn slipped from existence, beyond grasp of a mortal man. 

As he walked the barren path, the black corpses of trees appeared slowly from out of the haze. The birds that remained were hushed, awaiting the coming of the sun in the last moments of the lingering night. All was silent as the grave, and Ken thought of his beloved brother whom he may no longer see. His body might be somewhere in that distant land held by the infidels, a fallen warrior in the pope's holy wars to claim Jerusalem.

Ken cared nothing of popes or wars or infidels; he only knew that he who had loved him best in this life could have proceeded him to the next, and that he would give all he owned or would ever have for one last glimpse of his precious face.

But still, he put one foot before the other, moving on just as nature and all life did and must. Far off in the woods a branch snapped. Almost unconsciously his hand tightened around the hilt of his brother's dagger. It was his now; he might never return to claim the dagger, the very one he had used to save him from the wolf so many years before.

He peered into the darkness, wishing for the eyes of an animal so that he might see what they did. Nothing moved, at least not that he saw. A shiver danced up his spine and he turned his eyes back to the path. As he continued to walk, his legs tingled slightly where there were scars. They too had never forgotten the feel of the wolf's fangs.

In a sack upon his back he carried his brother's armor. He couldn't think about it though, or he would start crying again. Lost in thought, he didn't see the body until he was nearly upon it.

He jumped and let out a startled yelp as he realized that another man lay across the path. His first impression was that of scarlet locks and pale, soft-looking skin. The man lay still, as though he were dead, and he was completely naked. He felt his whole body heat up in a hot blush.

At his exclamation, the man on the ground stirred and then suddenly jumped to his feet.

"Who are you?" Ken gasped, averting his eyes.

For one moment the man stood, panting like a wild deer, before turning to flee into the woods.

"Who are you?" he shouted after the retreating figure.

Only silence met his question. He strained his ears but could hear nothing. _Is he hiding just out of sight, watching me? _he wondered. The thought sent a chill of fear through him. He clutched his dagger tighter and hurried on.

_Who could he have been, and why was he asleep naked in the forest? _Questions crowded his brain, each demanding to be heard and answered. Above him the trees began to whisper to themselves, and he could feel the hair on the back of his neck rising. He realized that his heart was pounding in fear, and he broke into a stilted run. At every step the armor banged against his back, a painful reminder of his grim errand.

Above him the trees continued to whisper and sway; dark warnings crowded his mind, and he did not know if they were real or imagined. Faster his feet flew, the path familiar to them as it twisted through the trees. At last he slowed as he neared his destination.

Ken's grandmother, Manx, lived deep in the forest. Her house stood, proud and alone, in a small clearing. As Ken came into sight of it, he saw smoke curling slowly from the chimney, blending with the fog until the two were indistinguishable.

The door hung a little crooked so that all manner of insects found their way underneath and inside. Grandmother always just sighed and carried them outside. There was not a straight board in the whole of the house. Manx was gifted at many things, but carpentry was not among them. Still, she took pride in having done all the work herself.

_Not that she had a choice, _Ken thought bitterly. She had an almost infinite knowledge with healing and she used it to maintain her looks, though she wasn't overly vain. His grandmother had been banished from the village before Ken was born, amidst the accusations of witchcraft. As a result, she had an ageless, almost youthful look; she looked younger than Ken's father, he had to admit. It was a miracle the villagers had been content to only banish her and not burn her. Ken shook his head. _Grandmother is no witch; she just asks questions no one else will and manages to find the answers. _

Ken reached the door and knocked lightly before pushing it open. "Grandmother?"

"Hello, dear," the older woman called cheerfully. She was stirring something in a large pot hanging over a crackling fire.

Ken carefully set down his sack and walked over. "What are you experimenting with now, Grandmother? Another healing potion, or a fertilizer for your garden, perhaps?"

"Breakfast," Manx said with a toss of her flame-colored hair, her green eyes shining with good humor, "and you're just in time to join me."

Ken wrinkled his nose. "I already ate," he fibbed.

Manx clicked her tongue. "What have I told you about lying to me? You'll have some- it won't kill you."

That's what worries me," Ken said with a sigh.

He sat down on a chair and looked around the house. It was cluttered, as always, with all of his grandmother's things. Row after row of glass jars lined crude shelves. They held a variety of plant life that Manx used in making her salves and ointments and various other creams to keep her youthful beauty. On a small table were more contraptions and jars spread around the room haphazardly.

On one wall hung a large piece of parchment with black dots marked upon it. Ken knew they represented the stars in the summer sky. Mapping the stars was one of his grandmother's latest projects, and on several nights she had managed to enlist Ken's aid.

"I didn't expect you until Thursday," Manx commented as she removed the boiling pot from the fire.

Ken nodded, his throat tightening as his eyes drifted to his sack.

"What is it?" Manx asked sharply, as though sensing Ken's change of mood.

"Kase came home yesterday from the crusade."

Manx lunged forward with a cry of excitement. She hugged Ken tightly and when she pulled back, tears of joy were filling her eyes. "And Youji?" she asked after a minute.

"The infidels… they…" Ken sobbed, unable to continue,

The tears of joy turned to tears of sorrow as they held each other and cried.

* * *

After eating, Manx reverently removed Youji's armor from the sack Ken had brought. As Ken again caught sight of the bloodstained moon, he shivered. 

"It was given to him by his lord, as a reward for his service," Ken explained.

Manx nodded slowly. "I can see that." She passed her fingers lightly over the moon. "I saw a scarlet moon once, when I was a child. It rose in the night sky, the color of blood. My mother told me it was a bad omen, a marker of death. I didn't believe her then, though I confess this makes me wonder now if maybe she was right." She shook her head.

"Can you do something with it, make it into something I could wear?" Ken asked, his voice hoarse from crying.

Manx nodded. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you."

"Maybe I can make something you can wear for protection as you walk through the forest."

"You're the one always telling me I have nothing to fear from the woods."

"It's not the woods I'm worried about," Manx said meaningfully.

Ken had almost forgotten about the man he had seen earlier, but his grandmother's words reminded him. "I saw a man on my way here today. He was lying naked in the path. He woke up and ran away before I could get a look at his face."

"Are you alright? He didn't harm you?" Manx asked, voice filled with alarm.

"I am alright, although puzzled."

"Some mysteries we should not seek the answers to," Manx said ominously.

"What does that mean?"

Manx smiled, but Ken could tell it was forced. "Nothing. I'm just glad you're alright. And don't start peeping at young naked men in the woods. You're too young yet."

"Grandmother, I am old enough! And I- I… I don't like men that way," Ken said with a slight blush coloring his tan cheeks.

Manx only stared at him, a slight smirk on her suddenly older features.

"Be that as it may, you shouldn't go chasing after strangers. They can be dangerous, especially ones running around in the forest like animals."

"I won't," Ken said, trying to keep his voice light.

There was a knock at the door and Manx rose to answer it. she held it wide as a young man and woman entered with their heads bowed reverently.

"Ouka, Masafumi," Ken uttered, nodding to both of them.

They murmured greetings in return. Ouka and Masafumi were the only ones besides Ken who visited Manx. They came to learn from her, and she had taught them much about medicine and nature. Ken was the only one who knew they were studying with his grandmother. The villagers might not begrudge a grandson calling on his grandmother (although they are slowly disapproving this, from what can be seen from their behavior towards him), but they would be quick to condemn two people calling on an accused witch.

"I should go," Ken said softly.

"No, stay and we shall explore the mysteries of nature together," Manx urged.

Ken hesitated for a moment. It was a Sunday, so there was no work to be done. Normally he would have spent the day with his father, but he and Kase were doubtless catching up. There was nothing he could do at home, and the truth was, he didn't want to go back quite yet.

"Thank you," he said.

Manx smiled.

For the rest of the afternoon they studied some of the deadlier plants, Manx warning them how to spot the poisonous ones and how to make some of them safe. Ken should have been fascinated, but his mind was elsewhere, on an unknown terrain in the presence of the enemy.

A few of the tears coursed down his cheeks, and he let them. This was the only place such tears were welcome. In the village he had to be strong, both in the shop and at home. His father did not welcome tears, believing them to be a sign of weakness. Weakness was a privilege that Ken had given up the day Youji left for the crusades. His father was a kind man, but he kept his emotions hidden.

When Ken was younger, he had been a little warmer, but the departure of his brother had been hard on his father. _I wonder if things might have been so different with me and father. How would my life have played out if I had never learned to fight, if Youji had never left?_

_Youji_. Over and over in his mind he imagined his brother being tortured by the heathens, his body frail and helpless. In his mind he saw his green eyes as he endured the pain, the love and hope fading slowly from them until…

"Monkshood needs to be avoided at all costs," Manx said.

Ken snapped back to attention and watched as his grandmother displayed a plant with deep green leaves and clusters of dark blue flowers.

"This one brings only death, swift and ugly. The tiniest amount of it can cause numbness, and a little more can cause death. It is popularly used as a poison. It grows in moist soil. I haven't been able to find a single positive use for it yet."

Masafumi turned noticeably paler. "What do you experiment on?" he asked, his voice quavering a little.

Ken bit his lip to keep from howling with laughter. He knew all too well what the answer was going to be.

"I will tell you when you are ready to know," Manx answered.

Masafumi's eyes widened in alarm and Ouka gave a little gasp. Ken hid his smile by tilting his head down, his shaggy bangs hiding the mirth in his brown eyes.

_At least Grandmother can still make me laugh, _he thought. The truth was, Ken himself didn't know what Manx experimented on. For a while he had suspected it was animals, but his grandmother cared too much for the woodland creatures to risk harming them.

Then Ken had thought his grandmother experimented on herself, but that seemed too dangerous and ill-conceived to be true. At last he had come to terms with the fact that he likely would never know. _I would tease her and say she experiments on the townspeople, but given their hatred of her, and her banishment, she would likely find it painful rather than humorous._

"Well, I believe that will be all for today," Manx said at last. Her voice sounded strong and clear, almost cheerful, but Ken could see the pain and exhaustion in her eyes. In one day, she had found one grandson and lost another.

Ken rose and went to his grandmother, gently encircling his arms around her. The action startled Ouka and Masafumi, who were unused to seeing such open displays of affection.

"I'll be alright," Manx whispered against his ear.

Ken nodded, sniffing slightly as he pulled away. Manx reached out a hand and caught one of his tears. "Do you need to stay here tonight?" she asked, eyes loving and concerned.

"No, I should go home. Father needs me more than ever."

"Then go, and be safe."

Ouka and Masafumi rose from their seats on the floor and said their good-byes. Together, the three of them left the cabin. Outside the shack, they parted ways. As Ken faced the path he would take back through the woods, he shivered.

* * *

It was near dusk when the three left the cabin in the woods. Two went their own way, by a path known only to them, and they were safe. The third walked the same path he always walked, and the trees were afraid for him. It was not safe in the woods- a predator lurked just out of his sight. 

The trees whispered, the trees moaned, but still he ignored them. At last a wind whipped up, and as it passed through their limbs, the trees began to shriek. He looked up, his face white with fear.

_Yes, hurry home, child. Your father is waiting and the wolf is close behind. _He broke into a trot and they whistled, encouraging him. _Faster, he is close at hand._ One of them sacrificed a branch, letting it fall scant feet from him. He screamed and began to run. Satisfied, the trees began to whisper again amongst themselves.

* * *

Ken was drenched in sweat when he burst out of the forest. He panted as he slowed slightly, his eyes fixed on the village. Heart pounding, he forced his tired legs to keep moving. 

_Why am I so afraid? _He wondered. _'Twas only a falling branch. _No matter what he told himself, though, he couldn't shake the feeling that it had been something more than that. _There are times when I hear something- a whisper, a voice- like the trees are trying to tell me something, _he shuddered as he slowed at last to a walk. _The first time I heard it was the day the wolf attacked._

He stopped just short of his home, not yet ready to go in and see his father and Kase. He stood, still winded, trying to banish the fear from his mind, but it was hopeless.

_It doesn't matter what else I'm feeling, the fear is always there. If I'm happy, there is still the fear. If I'm angry, there is still the fear. _He closed his eyes and forced himself to breathe more slowly. _And if I'm sad, the fear is overwhelming. No matter how strong I am, how much I can lift, or how well I can fight, I'm still afraid._

He turned and glanced over his shoulder with a shudder. The trees looked like ghosts as the evening fog rolled in. They swayed and shook, though he felt no breeze. Haunted- that's what the woods were, at least for him. For a moment he thought he saw something slipping between the trees, a gray phantom. _It's just one more of my ghosts, _he thought. _To me, there will always be a wold in these woods. _He turned away and forced himself to take the last few steps home.

TBC

* * *

Author's Notes: 

Darn it, I hate this new QuickEdit thingy. Um, I'm so sorry for making Manx the grandmother. For the people who read Robert Jordan's books, just apply the Aes Sedais' "ageless look" with Manx. This means that one cannot put an actual age to Manx since she may look like a young woman in one instant and then not precisely a grandmother, but a woman too wise for her years in the next.

I hope I didn't confuse you with all the "he's" in this story. The original character, as you might have guessed, is a lady so using the third person POV is pretty easy. But in yaoi, it's just plain confusing. So just bear in mind that almost all "he's" refer to Ken. Btw, you understand why I made Ken an almost crybaby, ne?

Coincidentally, as I was typing the first chapter, I looked out the window and guess what I saw…. Yup, a lunar eclipse. (Not _really _sure what that is.) Yup, a real, honest-to-goodness red moon. It might have been unusual coloring in the fog, it might have been air pollution, heck, it might even have been sinister forces (Muraki, anyone?) wreaking havoc on hapless victims. All in all, the sky was beautiful that night.

As for Youji… don't kill me yet, people!

Replies to Reviews (Chapter 1):

**HeatherR**…. You reviewed me…. (runs frenziedly around the room screaming "HeatherR reviewed me!" at the top of her lungs) Wai! You liked it! Really! Wow…. (stares off into space…) Aww, I hate animal torture too but it had to absolutely be done. So sorry about the poor wolf! Oooh, got _that _little detail fast, ne? Goodie! As for Ken turning into a wolf too, well you just have to wait for the next chappies…. The Crusades play a little role here since it's sort of at the background of the plot and I'm not making sense here so I better shut up now. Thanks for reviewing!

**Ru-chan**Darn it, how did you guess! Was it really that obvious! (ignores incredulous stares) Wow, thanks! Wait…. Ru-chan reviewed me again! WAAAAIIIII! (goes into a giggle fit before annoyed brother whaps her with a hard pillow… _hard_.)

**Chitoshiya no Tohma**Wai! You again! Your life is happy and glorious! I'm fervently hoping that it's not because of me because I only bring doom and despair to the people of the world! Nyahahahaha! Err… (ignores the twitching of her brother) 'Nyways, Thanks SO much for reviewing my fic. Hope you like chapter 2!

**beautiful-alone**Oooooooh! LOVE your name! Did you know that Beautiful Alone is my selected funeral song? Of course, my best friend wants it too and since we figured that whoever dies first gets the funeral song of her choice, it's a no-win situation. Err, did I creep you out? Hope not. Listening to Beautiful Alone makes me extremely happy. (ignores strange stares directed at her) Thanks for reviewing and here's another chapter for your enjoyment!

**RosefaerietaleRed**Whew! Hope I got your name right! Hehe. Err, Peter and the Wolf? … Not… quite… really… Ehehehe… But it's good that you actually tried to guess it. I was expecting that people would ignore this fic and everything. You like fairy tales! Me too! (ignores the shouts of "You're 18 for Pocky's sake!") Thanks for reviewing!

**Celeste1**Wow, another familiar name! It's interesting? (stares off into space for a few minutes, NOT comprehending the phenomena that reviewer had stated) Really! Truly! Wai! Arigatou! Hope you like this new chapter! Thanks for reviewing!


	3. Part 3

Disclaimer: All characters mentioned belong in the animé series Weiss Kreuz. The plot is taken from the book _Scarlet Moon _by Debbie Viguié. Please don't sue me…?

Warning: Okay, now here's where you roll your eyes and say "Finally!" A visit from the one you most wanted to see… with Ken… wonder who he is? I'm a good girl! I actually waited for my beta to finish beta-ing this before updating this fic. Thanks Skyyler-sama!

I feel so _bangag _(crazy, maudlin, foolish… Get my drift?) right now. Next week is our Finals week and I should be studying but alas, I am on the net. Oh well. Oh, btw, (for those concerned) this'll be my last update for a while. After next week, we're going to our province for a family reunion. I didn't want to go, at first, even though it's mandatory. Our province is, shall we say, too rural for my tastes. The beaches are lovely, seafood is scrumptious, but net connections are scarce (and if my 'rents see me on the comp, they'd freak) and I don't wanna be tanner than I already am (okay, I want to be fairer, so what?). Okay, enough ranting. No one reads the author's rants anyway, so it's ok for me to type spoilers. A few men will enter Ken's life… One to harass him (not _that _way!) and one would… intrigue him.

**Scarlet Moon **

By _Ninetails_

Chapter 3

Ken mopped the sweat from his brow and marveled at how much hotter the forge seemed than usual. The air in the shop felt superheated and he was having a hard time catching his breath. He removed the blacksmith's vest he wore, the one designed to hold several of his tools with small leather hooks and pockets. He wiped his fairly muscular torso, but he was still heated.

"I'm heading over to the parson's place," his father grumbled.

He glanced up with a sunny smile for his father.

"I thought having my own shop, a place where I could work and people could come to me, meant that I wouldn't have to go out so often."

"What needs to be done?" Ken asked.

"One of the large candlesticks is bent and wax is dripping onto the altar, apparently."

"I could go if you like," he offered.

"No," Reiji said, not even stopping to think about it. "You stay here. Simon should be by to pick up those blades a little later. Make sure he pays."

"I will," he promised.

Ken watched him leave with a trace of envy. His father hated leaving the shop to perform his job elsewhere, but _he _could use a change. His father would never let him go, though. He was just concerned about his son's image. He may be the son of an accused witch, but it seemed that all the prejudice was received by his son, Ken. Having him out working in the public eye would just make it worse.

He turned back to what he was doing. Now that Kase was home, he might begin to help out in the shop as soon as he felt stronger.

After working for nearly an hour, he heard footsteps behind him and turned to see a tall, burly man enter the shop.

"Good afternoon, Simon," he said.

Simon, a tanner by trade, grunted in reply. "Your father here?" he demanded.

"No, but your new blades are ready," Ken said, nodding towards one of the worktables.

The older man crossed the room and picked one up, examining its edge by running it lightly along his thumb. Even from a couple of feet away he could see the thin line of blood that appeared with the blade's passing. It gave him a good feeling to see the sharpness of his blades and to know that his work had paid off.

"They'll skin a deer twice as fast as your old ones," he asserted, moving toward him.

The tanner tucked the two blades into the back of his belt before sucking the blood from his skin. "I'll take them because I need them, but I won't pay for such shoddy work."

"Shoddy work!" Ken exclaimed, cut to the quick. "I assure you both my father and I worked on them, and they are the finest blades in these parts."

"I figure someone of your stature would think so," he grunted, giving him a withering glare. "Tell your father that when he can make better blades I'll pay for them," he said, starting toward the door.

"You'll pay for these now," Ken told him, moving between him and the door.

"Out of my way, boy, before I hurt you."

The younger man balled his hands into fists at his side and braced himself. He might be afraid of wolves and woods, but common men didn't frighten him. "I know you, Simon, and I won't be the one getting hurt."

"Run home to your father, boy. Or maybe to your devil of a grandmother. Make her turn me into a frog and let the whole village expose her true heart!"

"You swine!" he shouted. He lunged forward and hit him, hearing a crunch as his fist connected with his nose.

Simon staggered back with an oath, his hands flying to his face. Then with a roar he lunged toward the smaller man. Ken sidestepped and boxed his ear as he lumbered past. The tanner turned, one of the skinning knives in his hand, and was about to come at him again when another man strode into the building and stepped between them.

"Sir, you will pay this young man what he is due and leave this place." The stranger was tall and very well dressed.

"And who might you be?" Simon asked with a bloodstained sneer.

"Ran, Earl of Fujimiya."

Simon paled and took three quick steps backward. "I'm sorry, milord," he muttered, dropping his eyes. He then dug into a pouch at his belt and placed three coins on a barrel before turning and stumbling out of the shop. Ken snatched up the coins and contemplated throwing them at his retreating back, but he took a deep breath and clutched them tightly in his fist instead.

"Did he hurt you?" the earl asked after a moment.

"No," he spat. "And if you hadn't interfered I might have knocked some sense into him. Now I'm just going to have to deal with him later."

The tall man grunted, giving him a suddenly chilly glare before replying, "Next time, I will just stand back and watch him stab you."

Ken could've sworn that a hint of glee entered the man's icy eyes but he wasn't sure, himself giving the man a heated glare of his own. They stood still for a few moments as Ken tried to force his body to relax and his heart to slow. He found it hard to do so under such intense scrutiny.

He braced himself and looked at his unexpected guest closely. He was tall; Ken knew he was tall for a boy his age, but the man before him didn't look any older than him and he himself only came up to his nose. The carmine locks framing his face almost touched his shoulders. His skin was pale, with the look of one who spent too much time indoors; his skin gleamed with the unmistakable sheen of silk. Ken wondered if it was as soft as it looked, and he almost reached out to find out, but managed to catch himself. Then he looked into the man's eyes and his heart skipped a beat. Ran had the most mesmerizing violet eyes he had ever seen; they were the only violet eyes he had ever seen on a man. There was something magnetic and exotic about them, and he felt as though he was drowning in their depths.

He forced himself to break the contact as he realized that his heart was still racing but for an entirely different reason. Perhaps it was that realization that startled him into remembering his manners. He started to bow deeply, now _very _aware of the fact that his chest was naked, and under the intense scrutiny of those amethyst eyes. He wanted to cover himself with the thickest winter clothes he owns; and yet he wanted that stare all for himself. This thought caused a profuse blush to spread on his tan cheeks. When he stood back up, Ken thought he saw something almost… predatory in the other's gaze. "I'm sorry, milord, you caught me at an inopportune moment. I did not mean to offend you."

"Don't do that," the taller man said softly, eyes still intent on his blushing face.

"What?" Ken asked, startled and still out of sorts with the other's intense look.

"Don't remember that you are a blacksmith and I am an earl."

Ken found himself smiling despite himself, overcoming his first impulse to gape. "You'll have to forgive me; I often have a different view of life than others."

The earl gave him an inscrutable look, his aura of mystery calling out to Ken, wishing he could unravel the enigma that was Ran. They continued to stare at each other, before Ken avoided his gaze, the blush that was slowly leaving his face going back full force.

He excused himself for a moment, hastily donning his shirt, fearing to be… devoured, for some reason. He went back to the earl, noticing the slight twitch in the other's eye at the sudden appearance of a shirt. He suddenly felt that his shirt should be on fire, but he shrugged the feeling off as worry over this strange man's appearance.

"What is it you came for, Ran?" Ken asked, daring to use his name and knowing how many would be shocked to hear him do so.

The other man smirked. "My horse threw a shoe not twenty paces from your door."

"Well then, that is fortunate for both of us," he answered.

"Yes, it would seem so."

"Fetch your horse and put him in that stall," Ken said, pointing.

Ran raised delicate eyebrow, before bowing low and disappearing outside. Ken didn't even have a moment to collect himself before the taller man reappeared, leading a magnificent black stallion.

"Beautiful," Ken murmured almost involuntarily.

"Are you referring to me or the horse?" Ran asked with another smirk on his rosy, velvety (to Ken, at least) lips.

Ken blushed, fighting the insane urge to test the softness of those smirking lips. "My, aren't we arrogant. I was, of course, referring to the animal."

"Then, you were talking about me," the earl said, his good humor gone in an instant and his eyes glinting with a harder light.

The younger man's breath caught in his throat as he stared at him. In that moment, it was easy to see him as an animal- a wild, dangerous creature that would consume him if he only let him.

Then the grim look was gone and the superior smirk was again in its place. He led the horse into the stall and secured it. Ken brushed past him and entered the stall.

"Which shoe?"

"Left foreleg."

"Easy, boy," Ken crooned as he slid his hand down the horse's silken leg.

When he reached his hoof, he lifted it for him without a fuss. "You have lovely manners," he told him.

"He learned them from me," Ran offered, a slight teasing in his tone.

"You sure it wasn't the other way around?"

The smirk grew into a not-quite-smile, his face subtly changing, becoming even more… appealing. Ken stared at him, feeling quite a few stirrings somewhere in him. Trying to shake off those weird sensations, he studied the horse's hoof.

"You treat all your customers this way?" Ran asked with an imperceptible hardening in his tone.

"No, you're special," Ken said, the words coming out inadvertently, causing him to blush once again.

"And here I asked for no special treatment," he teased.

After a moment of silence, Ken let go of the horse's hoof and straightened. "Hand me one of those files on that table, please. His hoof needs to be shaved a little before I can put on a new shoe."

Ran complied, an almost stunned look on his features as he actually obeyed. Ken slid his hand down the horse's leg again, and this time he picked his hoof up before the young man even asked. Holding it steady between his knees, he filed the edge down. As he leaned slightly into the great beast's shoulder, he nickered softly.

"He likes you," Ran said, his tone deadpan.

"The feeling is quite mutual. He's a wonderful animal."

He returned the file to Ran. "Can you get me one of the shoes hanging from the first nail on the wall, closest to me? I also need a hammer and some nails from the table below it."

The earl grabbed the things he needed and handed him the hammer, the shoe, and one of the nails. He stood close at hand with the rest.

Ken fitted the shoe onto the stallion and drove the first nail into the hoof easily. Ran placed the next one into his outstretched hand, brushing his fingers with his own. His skin warmed at the contact, but he tried not to think about it.

Ken finished quickly and patted the horse on the shoulder. "Thank you for your assistance," he told Ran as he let himself out of the stall.

"The pleasure was mine," Ran said with a small grin. "What do I owe you?"

Ken shrugged. "Let's call it even. After all, you did save me from having to kill the tanner."

The smile disappeared, and the steel returned to his gaze. "His miserable blood should not stain your hands."

The blacksmith did not know what to say, so he just stood, staring mutely into his eyes. Suddenly Ran bent closer, and for one heart-stopping moment he thought he was going to… kiss him. Instead he whispered low and fierce, "Thank you."

"For what?" he breathed.

Ran smiled grimly and shook his head before moving to the stall and leading his horse out. He left the shop without a word or a backward glance. Ken walked to the door and watched as he mounted his horse and rode off. Puzzled and feeling slightly dazed, he turned back inside and saw a small pouch sitting on the table next to the file he had used on the horse's hoof.

He picked it up and gasped when he saw that it was filled with coins. "Thank you," he whispered.

* * *

Ran's head was spinning as he galloped his horse toward the castle. The boy had seemed so familiar to him; something about him had called to him, but he didn't know what it was. He hadn't even found out his name, though his face would forever haunt his dreams. For a moment he had been able to forget the darkness in his life and he had felt truly free. 

Freedom was not his, though, no matter how much he yearned for it. _Mine is a life already destined, the course of my future plotted, thanks to the actions of my ancestors and this legacy they left me. _He cursed his fate as he spurred his mount on.

Minutes later the hooves of his steed clattered on the stones in the castle courtyard. He slid from the stallion's back and tossed the reins to a waiting servant.

He strode into the main hall of the castle, his boots causing hollow echoes to sound throughout the corridors, until he reached the great wall, where a portrait of each marquis of Fujimiya hung. His father's was at the end, and next to it was a space where Ran's would one day hang when his father was dead and he, himself was marquis.

He glared at the wall. Four centuries of Fujimiyas all stared at him, their eyes accusing him as they always did. "I have done nothing to deserve this," he hissed.

He looked at each portrait in turn, beginning with the first- Ran, his namesake. All of them had the same pale skin, the same high cheekbones, the same flame hair. There was one thing that not all of them shared, however. The first six Fujimiyas did not have it, but all the rest did. All the rest had a darkness to them, a hungry, predatory look in their eyes. Ran knew that look; he had seen it in his own eyes when staring into pools of water.

The eyes mocked him, and he hated them for that. He turned back to the first portrait with those eyes and stood before it for a long time, unmoving. Finally, in a voice hoarse with rage, he asked, "Why?"

The portrait, as always, refused to answer.

* * *

As Ken sat down to dinner with his father and Kase, he placed the coins from his day's work upon the table. His father took one look at the large amount and raised his eyebrow. 

"Something happen today at the shop?" he asked.

"Yes," Ken answered, helping himself to a chicken leg. "Simon the tanner didn't want to pay for his skinning knives. He claimed the work was shoddy."

His father turned three shades of red before he finally spit out, "That was some of the best work we've ever done!"

"I know," his son answered around a mouthful of chicken.

"What did you do?"

"I hit him a couple of times before he got his guard up."

"Ken, what have I told you about fighting?"

"I know, Father, but I was safe. He didn't touch me. It turned out he didn't even have a chance to try. Lord Ran came by and ended the fight. Simon paid and left as fast as he could."

His father's face went from red to white faster than he would have dreamed possible. "The marquis's son caught you fighting?"

"Yes, Father," he said, dropping his eyes to his plate.

"Did he say anything?"

Ken was in trouble and he knew it. His father had always warned him about how to behave in front of nobility, when and if he ever met any. He had also told him repeatedly that if any strangers dropped by the forge while he was alone, he was to tell them he was only tasked to clean the shop, and that he should go home to get Reiji. The younger man took a drink of water, debating what next to say.

"Ran had heard Simon and me arguing about _our _work, so it was no use pretending not to be a blacksmith too. He had come by to have one of the shoes replaced on his stallion. I did the job and told him there would be no charge since he had helped me with Simon. He left this bag of coins anyway."

He sat silent, watching his father as the older man stared off into space. "Lord Ran has a bad reputation, but it's for being a mysterious and dangerous man. If he were going to make any trouble for us regarding you and your unholy temper (Ken's jaw dropped in disbelief), it would have come already."

"I met men in Acre who knew him. They had no kind words," Kase said quietly. "He's dangerous. You should try to stay away from him, or not to even talk to him, Ken. You may not be so lucky next time."

"Yes, if you see him again, try to be polite but stay away from him, lest you say something to incite his wrath," his father instructed.

Ken nodded but didn't say a word. They ate the rest of the meal in silence, and Ken was relieved when it was time to retire for the night.

He lay down, but sleep was a long time coming. When the darkness finally did claim him, he dreamt of Ran and the way his eyes shone when he smiled.

* * *

Ran couldn't sleep. He prowled the castle, thinking. He stopped again in front of the great wall and stared at the portrait of his father. At last he turned from it, weary. 

His father was off again, fighting in Jerusalem. He had come and gone often throughout the last nine years, and he had always left Ran home to watch the castle and guard the lands and titles. It had been a great burden his father had placed upon him, but it was nothing compared to the burden that they all shared. It was the dark secret carried by the men of the family that drove his father to return again and again to Jerusalem. _Does he seek revenge or redemption? _Ran wondered.

He didn't know; he and his father barely spoke even when they were both in the same room. _We keep to ourselves, even when among our own kind._

He turned and continued pacing, his stride long and loose, his hands swinging easily at his sides. His eyes probed the darkness, seeing everything, even though he didn't need to see in the dark to move around this castle. He knew the layout so well he could walk it with his eyes closed.

At last he moved outside, the walls of the castle no longer able to cage him. Under the stars he breathed in deeply, sucking the night air into his lungs. He threw back his head and stared up at the sky. The moon was a crescent in the darkness and he stared at it, hating it and yet unable to ignore its beauty.

He paced slowly toward the stables, approaching them from downwind. The horses began to move restlessly, and he could smell their fear. Unable to smell him and know that it was Ran who approached, they were anxious, sensing only that a predator was near.

By the time he walked inside, they were whinnying in fear and kicking the walls. He stood for a moment, watching them, before he called out gently. The horses instantly quieted upon hearing their master's voice. He walked down the center aisle, meeting each of their eyes in turn.

He exited the stables and continued on to a pasture beyond. The stallion the boy in the village had shoed trotted up to the fence and thrust his nose into Ran's hand.

"You don't belong inside, penned up like the other horses, do you?" Ran asked quietly, rubbing the velvety nose. "Neither do I. That's why we get along so well, you and I."

Ran sighed and leaned against the fence. "So, what did you think of the boy?"

The horse bobbed his head up and down, making Ran smile gently. "I liked him too. I've never met a man quite like him. You know, I believe he could have killed that tanner." His smile faded as a shadow crossed his mind. "I am happy that he did not have to, though. No one should have to live with that kind of pain."

The stallion lipped at Ran's collar, and he twisted his hand in the horse's mane. "So, Shadow, what am I going to do about him?"

Shadow had nothing to say about the matter, and Ran sighed. In his mind's eye, he could still see the clear beautiful brown eyes of the man as he smiled at him. "If I am anything of a man, I will leave him to his troubles alone."

The stallion made a chuffing noise that sounded like laughter. "Thanks," Ran said sarcastically. "At least I always know where you stand." He pushed away from the fence, giving the horse one final pat. "Both of us should get some sleep if we can."

He walked slowly back inside the castle, his heart weary. The boy was better off without his interfering in his life. He was the kind of trouble he didn't need. Knowing that didn't make him feel any better, though, and didn't make it any easier for him to ignore the feeling that the boy was someone he could really care for.

TBC

* * *

Author's Notes: 

Now kids, don't play with knives, okay (_unless _you're Farfie… or Trowa. Or is it Catherine?), especially if you're squeamish (why would you even hold a knife if you're squeamish with blood anyway!… I know I'm not making sense). It's not really nice to have scar tissue. Btw, I have this _thing _with blood-sucking, ne? And I still say that it works to bring blood back into your circulation but really, it's… ack.

As I'm typing this (Feb.4, 2005), we studied about Blood Pressure in my AnaPhysio lab class. My left arm still hurts from the numerous times my BP was measured (which isn't proper procedure, I know, but we had WAAY too much fun). Ouch. At least my fingers aren't pricked anymore. It's a hassle to type otherwise.

(sobs) So sorry for making Ran waaaaaaay too OOC here. I mean, come on, him actually acknowledging a lowly blacksmith? Of course, if said blacksmith has Kenken's _Amazing Pecs_, who could blame him, ne? (snicker)

"Isn't Ken too… stupid not to make the connection?" you might ask. Apparently, yes, he is. Hehe, just kidding. It's kind of a stretch you know, associating Ran with the wolf. And I apologize once again for overstretching things here. I mean come on, the setting of this fic is supposed to be somewhere in the west, in medieval times. Where the heck could anyone find a "Fujimiya" in the land? Oh well. Forgive me?

* * *

Replies to Reviews (Chapter 2): To my dear, beloved Reviewers, I'd kowtow before you right now if it were possible. Thank you so much for your support, and you aren't mean to me at all. That's the primary reason why I never ask for reviews (mean remarks and… stuff. But you give them anyway, and such wonderful reviews they are! You all motivate me to continue this… (mumble mumble) fic and I promise to meet your standards… okay, enough nonsense, on with the replies! 

**RosefaerietaleRed**Whew, I hope I got your name right… again. It's okay that you didn't get it the first time. Really. I'm actually glad that you took the time to contemplate on that matter. 'Nyways, yeah, it's sad about Youji. Oh well. You liked Grandma Manx! (snicker) Nyahahaha! Arigatou! I wasn't sure how _that'd _go over you guys. Thanks for being the first reviewer!

**lilly pad**(gives innocent face) Nothing suspicious is happening… really! (hides under… table) Okay, okay, you got me! I won't tell though… you hafta wait just like everybody else, Nyahaha! How does Ran become a noble? He's the Duke's son. Is he the wolf? I dunno. Really. Thanks for the review!

**Chitoshiya no Tohma** … You don't like Yotan! Why! Waaaah! Meanie! … Nyahaha! Just kidding! Hmmm… better put that into account. What Ken needs…? Wow. I recall writing my first lemon. It was in 2000 (yup, I was 14!) and it makes me shudder (in revulsion) just thinking about it. I think it was a KenxOmi… Eek! (sorry to the kXo lovers out there). Here's another update. Darn it, I'm really slow, ne? Thanks!

**HeatherR**Wai! You reviewed me… again! Waii! I could die happy right now… of course… if it wasn't for my exams next week… Err.. 'Nyways, the woods are lovely, dark and deep. That's all I can say about them. Kase is nice, I want him to be nice. But you might change your mind in the further chappies (oops, was that a spoiler!). Ran? Naked! Perish the thought! (snicker) Ehehehe… you know who that man is, there's never a doubt… I mean, who else would have striking features like that? Thanks for being patient. I share the same sentiment. I mean, fics I follow haven't been updated since 2002! Talk about slow… you are free to speculate more. Nyahaha! Thanks for the review!

**The Invisible Fan**The Brothers Grimm's fairytales are … grim… Ehehehe, gomen for the bad pun. They're ok though, but I love Andersen's stories more. Err… this fic is an adaptation of The Little Red Riding Hood. Kinda farfetched, ne? So sorry for the slow update. I promise that I'm gonna update as soon as I get back from our reunion. Thanks for reviewing!

**beautiful-alone**Idea? What idea! Is it good! Is it bad! Waaah! Did I make you commit hara-kiri! I'M A BAD PERSON! … Ehehehe… just kidding. I need the humor in my life right now. 'Nyways, thanks so much for the review.

**Ru-chan**Really! Sure? (snicker) Yeah… maybe. Argh! I hate making Kase a good guy! But it was absolutely necessary for the plot. Oh well.. Wai! I SO envy Kenken right now! Seeing a naked Ran (drool)… Waaah, it was _that _obvious, ne? Oh well. Thanks SO much for reviewing! (prances around shouting "Ru-chan reviewed me! OH MY GAAAH!" until someone knocks some sense into her a.k.a. her brother bashes her with a pillow)

_My goal in life is to master the Techniques for Solving Cognitive Moral Dilemmas for our Philo of Man finals next week Go me!_


	4. Part 4

Disclaimer: This (piece of crap), my dear readers, is a fictional work of … something. All characters mentioned belong in the animé series Weiss Kreuss. The plot is taken from the book _Scarlet Moon _by Debbie Viguié. Please don't sue me…?

Notes: Err, for all sap lovers out there, this chappie is for you! For all gore lovers out there, this chappie is also for you. Whee! I'm baaaack! I deserve that vacation. Though I did NOT deserve this wooziness I have from my boat ride yesterday (or maybe those 2 shots of tequila were to blame. Hmm….) College is a major drag and I swear, my brain wasn't functioning for at least a day after Finals week. I read from one site or the other that Ran's fave book is "Being and Time" by Martin Heidegger. Wow. I've read "Being and Nothingness" by Immanuel Kant (or some other dead atheist philosopher) and I thought it made sense, but I could NOT even dare fathom being and time. (and for those in the know, forgive the musings of a deranged fangirl)

I've also discovered that all my Weiss Kreuz fics (yeah, all 3 of them) are archived in C2s! I am SO thrilled by this! This fic is archived in "Ken ai to kurushimi. I am SO honored, shikigami-kun! Arigatou! Although… is there angst in this fic? I didn't intend it to be that way… wow.

And of course, a BIG arigatou to my one and only beta reader Skyyler-sama! You did a great job, girl! (smoochies)

**Scarlet Moon **

By _Ninetails_

Chapter 4

A cold wind whipped through the shop and blew a shower of sparks about. Ken could taste winter in the air, hard and clean. It was coming, though not yet arrived. The sun shone for fewer hours a day, and its heat did not warm as thoroughly as it had a few weeks before.

Much had changed in Ken's life even as one season gave way to another. Sometimes it felt like his whole world was coming to an end. He turned his head slightly and stared at Kase from under lowered lashes. He asked to come to the shop to help him out, but so far the other man had mostly sat, staring off into space. _Where does he go when he's like that?_ Ken wondered. He wanted so badly to question him about everything he had seen and done in the years he had been gone but every time he tried to ask, his cousin just shrugged and smiled weakly at him. _Why won't he talk about it? He hasn't even told me about the battle where Yohji was captured._

Kase's body had begun to heal with rest and food, but his spirit still seemed wounded. Worse, there was no remedy, he knew, for that ailment.

He put down his hammer for a moment and plunged the strip of hot steel that would be a sword into cold water. It hissed and steamed as it cooled.

"I would like to go see Grandmother," Kase said, speaking suddenly.

Ken jumped, surprised by the sound of his voice. "Then go. I know she is eager to see you. You've been home three weeks and I know she is growing anxious."

"I know; I just wasn't ready before. Would you go with me?" he asked.

"Of course," Ken replied, wondering why. _Perhaps he is not sure he remembers the way, or perhaps he does not wish to walk through the woods alone._

"We can go this evening if you like.

"That would be good."

Kase fell back into silence, and Ken returned to his work, tying to shrug off his concern for the other man.

It was nearly time for the midday meal before he spoke again. "How is she?"

"Who?" Ken asked, again startled and momentarily confused.

"Grandmother."

"She's well. I think you'll be surprised. She doesn't look any older than when you left."

Kase nodded. "I guess that's witchcraft for you."

Ken bristled. "She's not a witch! Kase, how can you believe such a thing?"

"Isn't it true?" he asked, looking genuinely perplexed.

"It is not. She has never had anything to do with witchcraft. It is only superstition and fear that made people misunderstand her."

"My folks included," Kase said. "They didn't let me see her much."

"I'm sorry, Kase," Ken said, softening. He had forgotten how narrow-minded his cousin's parents had been.

Kase stood up and walked closer. He leaned up against a table beside him. "So, what is she?"

"She's… just a person who is… interested in… studying," Ken said, finding himself at a loss for the words to explain.

"Studying what?"

"Everything - plants, animals, the stars in the sky. She's even done some wonderful work with medicine and studying the human body."

"Really?" Kase asked, his voice reflecting heightened curiosity.

"Oh yes, she makes wonderful salves for burns, cuts, all manner of things."

"So, she can make people better?"

"Absolutely."

"Then she also knows what makes them sick."

"Yes," Ken answered, not entirely sure where Kase was going with his questioning.

"I would like to learn that," he said quietly, almost to himself.

"She would love to teach you," Ken said, laying a hand on his arm. "She has taught me so much and yet there is so much left to learn."

"Really?" Kase asked, his brown eyes probing into Ken's.

"Yes."

"Does she teach anyone else?"

Ken hesitated for only a moment, his thoughts on Ouka and Masafumi, before he answered. "No."

Kase smiled wanly. "Since I have come back, I have found that I am in need of something on which to focus my thoughts, my energies."

Ken smiled. "We will go tonight and you can speak with her about all of it. Now, I have to finish this by the end of the day or Father will be speaking to me about something."

Kase laughed, though the sound was empty and hollow to Ken's ears. They shared some cheese and bread Ken had brought from home, and then he returned to work.

Kase fell back into silence for the rest of the day. Ken glanced at him from time to time, wishing he could reach him. At last the day was over. They went home to say hello to Ken's father and to eat a quick meal before they set out into the woods, heading for their grandmother's house. Ken carried a lantern with them to ward off the gathering shadows. It would be fully dark when they returned, and they would be sorely in want of some light.

He shivered. The woods at night was not something to be taken lightly, and his thoughts raced ahead of him, mapping out every footstep of their way. He walked several steps ahead of Kase, inexplicably not wanting to be too close to him.

_You're being silly, _he chided himself. _He's your cousin. There is nothing to fear from him._

From overhead he heard the flapping of wings. He glanced up and saw a huge owl silhouetted briefly against the sky. It then landed on a nearby branch and stared at them with great, unblinking eyes.

"Who, who?" the owl called.

He was reminded yet again of the young man he had seen in the woods and how he had called the same question out after him with as little answer as he was giving the owl.

"Ken," he whispered. At least he could answer the owl. Maybe one day he would help answer his question.

They walked quickly and soon arrived. The door was open when they reached the cabin, and Manx was standing outside with open arms. Kase went to her after a moment of hesitation and was folded into her embrace. Ken stood and smiled weakly, fighting tears. _I wish Yohji were here for this reunion._

At last they all bustled inside. Candles were lit all around the room, reflecting eerily in the glass jars. The effect was that of a thousand flickering lights bathing the room in light one moment and plunging it into near darkness the next. Ken would have found it fascinating if he were not so uneasy from the trip through the woods and his earlier conversation with Kase.

They all sat in silence for several minutes. Kase stared around the room, taking everything in as Ken and Manx stared at him. Then he stood and prowled around the room, touching this and that.

"I would like to learn what you know," he said at last, picking up a jar of mugwort and examining it.

Manx glanced at Ken, a hint of alarm in her green eyes. "Why?"

"As a child my parents forbade me to see you. They said you were a witch. They were wrong, and I regret all the time we lost and all the things you might have taught me." He set the jar down and turned back to them. "I've lost everything," he said simply. "But being here, I'm beginning to understand that my greatest loss was the years I missed knowing you."

With tears in her eyes Manx rose to embrace him. "My darling child, you shall know me, and if it is within my power we shall work together to heal your wounds."

Ken averted his eyes to give them a moment of privacy. As he did so, he prayed that Manx might really hold the key to Kase's recovery.

They ended up not leaving until the dawn. As they hurried home along the path, Ken imagined that the trees were shaking their branches at him in anger.

* * *

Customers kept Ken and his father busy for the next several days repairing axes used for wood chopping, making hooks to hang meat in storage, and taking care of other things that needed to be done before the onslaught of winter. It was a week before he could return to his grandmother's, though he knew Kase had gone several times.

When he entered the forest, it seemed peaceful to him. He couldn't remember the last time he had actually felt at home in the woods, welcomed almost. It was a strange sensation, unnerving in itself.

He hadn't gone very far when he heard a voice behind him. "A young man shouldn't walk alone in the woods."

"Who says I'm not old enough to take care of myself?" Ken asked, pulling his dagger from his belt before turning.

"I have," Ran said, smirking at him.

Ken returned his dagger to its resting place and relaxed his fighting posture. "Oh, it's you again," he said dryly, unable to stop himself.

"Yes," Ran answered, striding forward.

Ken dropped his eyes quickly, suppressing the sudden fluttering of his heart at the sight of the tall man, before bowing hastily, his father's warning fresh in his mind.

"A little formal, aren't we," Ran deadpanned

"I'm sorry, milord, you surprised me. I was just hurrying to my grandmother's. If you would excuse me…" Ken turned on his heel and started to walk off, his heart in his throat.

"I won't," the other man said, his dulcet voice growing stern.

Ken stopped but didn't turn to face him._ "A dangerous man," that is what they called him. "Don't chase strangers in the woods," Grandmother said. What about dangerous strangers? Surely I should avoid them above all! _he thought.

"What's wrong?" the earl asked, moving to stand in front of him.

"Nothing, milord," the younger man lied, not daring to look at the other man's handsome features.

"You know I don't wish to be so formal with you, but if you insist on being so, then I must insist that you tell me the truth. I command it," Ran said with all the pomp entailing his title.

Ken lifted his head at that, not knowing how to respond. Violet eyes bored into his own and he grew uncomfortable under the stare.

"Something is different. What is it?"

"I was overly familiar the day you came by our shop, and I apologize."

The smirk was back. "Don't, it was refreshing." Ran gazed at Ken's brown eyes more closely, and his eyes narrowed. "Did someone tell you not to speak to me? Your father, perhaps?"

Ken averted his eyes. "Where is your horse?" he asked.

"I'm afraid I'm alone today."

"The woods are a dangerous place," he warned. He was so close he could feel the taller man's warm breath on his face.

"Not for me," Ran said in a low growl.

The sound made Ken shiver. "They told me you are dangerous."

A strange look crossed Ran's face and for a moment, he looked in pain. Ken felt a slight stab in his heart at that look. "Whoever told you that was telling the truth."

"And I am alone in the woods with a dangerous man. If such is the truth, I would do well to heed their warnings."

Ran reached out quickly and grasped his forearm. Ken blanched as he felt his long fingers pressing into his muscles, the callused palm contrasting the rest of his smooth skin. "If you are the same boy I met a few weeks ago, then you have little to fear from strange men in the woods and even less to fear from me."

"And why is that?" Ken asked, unsure of his meaning.

The older man smiled slowly, and Ken felt that peculiar flutter in his heart once more. The Ran in his dreams could not compare to the Ran in front of him. "Because you can take care of yourself. And because I would never consciously harm you."

_And what about unconsciously? _Ken wondered, but he said nothing.

Ran took a step back and let go of his arm slowly, caressing the soft tanned skin. "Where did you say you were off to?"

"Grandmother's house."

"Then I shall escort you," he said, bowing a little, before gesturing for him to lead the way. He then placed a hand in the small of Ken's back, gently prodding him to walk.

Ken wanted desperately to trust him, but he also wanted to try and obey his father. "I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," he said finally, in a last effort to avoid prolonged contact.

"Hn, but you and I are hardly strangers, are we?" Ran said with a slight glint in his eye, giving him a slow grin.

Despite the strange sensations running up and down his body at the other's hungry look, he laughed and impulsively took his arm, akin to the way he and his brother traversed in the woods. "You promise not to bite?"

The smile left Ran's pale face instantly, and Ken shivered as he stared down at him. "Not today - today you are safe," he whispered into his ear huskily.

Ken felt a chill run through him, and something deep inside him told him that he had seen those violet eyes somewhere else. He shook his head to clear it and tried to keep his tone light. "In that case, let us go."

"Your grandmother lives in the woods?" Ran asked at last.

Ken nodded. "She was banished before I was born. She was falsely accused of witchcraft."

He felt the tall man stiffen, and fear brushed against him. "Of course that's ridiculous," he hastened to add. "My grandmother studies nature, medicine, the way things grow. Only the ignorant believe in witchcraft."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Ran said softly, a pained look in his now stony features. "There are more things in this world that can not be explained with reason."

"Spoken as a man who has seen some of them," Ken teased.

"That I have," Ran whispered so quietly he had to strain to hear him.

They finished the walk in silence, though Ken was acutely aware of the other's elbow where it brushed his side and the play of the sinewy muscles in his arms beneath Ken's own hold.

Just before they entered the clearing he suddenly stopped and turned to the shorter man. "I almost forgot, I have something for you."

Ken tilted his head to the side, puzzled.

From a small bag hanging from his belt, Ran pulled out a rough cross, all four sides equal in length, attached to a chain of thin silver metal. "It belonged to my mother," Ran explained. "I wanted you to have it as payment, a thank you, for your help a few weeks ago."

"I did nothing more than what was needed," Ken said, aghast. "And you already paid me for that more than generously."

"No, this isn't for the horse. It is for your kindness. You did much more than you'll ever know. Here," the earl said, placing it at his throat.

He then fastened the clasp behind Ken's neck. Upon locking it, he slowly moved his arms back, caressing his skin once again. Reverently, he touched the cross where it hung low on his throat.

"Perfect," Ran said. "I want you to have this. My sister has one just like this and I pray that it will offer you the same protection it is giving her."

Ken stared down at it for a moment before looking back up at him. "You are a mystery to me still. A sister?" At the other's blank look, he continued. "They tell me that none who know you speak well of you. You yourself have admitted to being dangerous, but I don't see that."

Ran bent down suddenly and kissed him. Almost against his will, Ken closed his eyes and surrendered to his embrace. His lips were warm upon his own and it felt like his whole body was on fire. Long arms slowly went down to caress his body, bringing him closer to the warm body of the earl. His scent was suffocating him, and yet he couldn't get enough. Ken felt his own fingers convulse almost desperately in Ran's hair, although he had no idea how they got there. All he knew was that he had to have more.

He opened his eyes as Ran pulled away. Violet eyes pierced him as the other man whispered fiercely, "I _am _dangerous."

Ken blinked, and in a moment, he was gone. He turned around but could see no trace of Ran, as though he had vanished into thin air. _Just like the man I found on the path. _He jerked as realization hit him. _Ran and the man I found sleeping in the woods are one and the same!

* * *

_

He cursed himself as he slipped into the forest, hiding from probing brown eyes. For the last month he had done nothing but think of him. For a week he had carried the cross with him, debating whether to try and see him, whether to give it to him. He had never thought beyond that. He had never anticipated kissing him.

He had looked so beautiful, so innocent and vulnerable, and like a wolf drawn to a lamb he had pounced. He could still feel the boy's lips on his, and he knew the memory would haunt him until he died. _He tasted so sweet._

He was starting to lose control; he could feel it. He had spent years training his mind, learning how to control his thoughts and his feelings. Since the moment they had met he had been reverting, losing his ability to concentrate.

"I am a man, not an animal," he whispered to the forest.

The ancient trees shook in the breeze, denying his claim. They spoke to him, telling him that he was not what he wanted to be, that he was everything he feared to be. He covered his ears with his hands but could hear them all the same.

"No, I've fought so hard to control myself. I can't let go of that. I must not let passion hold sway." The words sounded empty and hollow even to him.

He turned and fled through the woods back toward the castle. He ran from the boy and from himself. All he knew was that if he stayed in the woods, he could not be held responsible for his actions.

* * *

That night Ran woke up shaking and covered in sweat. He had the dream again. He had been in a battle, fighting and killing the dark-skinned men who surrounded him. Their blood sprayed across his chest. His sword was slick with crimson liquid and he fought to keep his hand around the hilt. The fighting ceased for a moment and he stopped to catch his breath. A sound behind him caused him to turn, and he plunged his sword into another man's chest. It was only as he pulled it out that he realized the man was no warrior, just a simple farmer whose land was being desecrated. Next to him his wife stood, screaming in a language he could not understand. She pointed her finger at him, invective flowing out of her small, quivering lips. He knew that she was putting a curse on him, though he didn't know how he knew. A gray light flashed around him for a brief moment and he blinked. He stared at those sputtering lips, now flecked with foam. Her lips were still moving after he cut off her head.

Every time he had the dream it was the same. Only upon waking would he remember that it had not been he, but a distant ancestor who had committed the crime. "And unto your sons, for seven generations," he muttered, quoting from the Bible. The sins of his forefather that were being visited upon his head, though he had no such time limit. Every male in his family was cursed, until the end of time. The dead witch had seen to that.

"Forgive me," he prayed, as he always did upon waking from the dream. He dropped his head into his hand and sobbed. The dream was bad enough, but what was coming next was worse. The dream always preceded his three nights of hell. The full moon and the night on either side of it always bore witness to the price he paid for ancient sins.

The sun was streaming into his bedchamber, and he wished, as always, that it would last forever, beat back the cruel moon and rule the sky for eternity. Then he would be free.

He rose and dressed, taking his time, as though that would somehow slow the progress of the rest of the day. He had preparations to make, though, before night fell. He felt himself slowly crawling back into the familiar cold, and his face was blank.

* * *

It was growing dark as Ken reached the edge of the woods, setting out to take a basket of food for his grandmother. He glanced skyward anxiously, seeing that the moon was already up even though the sun had not yet set. _Full moon, or nearly._

He had hoped to be on his way home by now, but he had needed to stay at the shop longer than he had thought in order to complete an ax. He should hurry if he wanted to get there while there was still some light. _I'll probably have to stay overnight. _He was about to pass the first tree when his foot stopped, hovering in midair.

_Something is wrong. _He stood, staring, eyes and ears straining. He couldn't see or hear anything amiss, and yet there was. He looked up at the trees, but they stood like silent sentinels. Whatever secrets they had, they kept.

_Move forward! _He screamed at himself. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't will himself to step on the path. Slowly he lowered his foot back to the ground, next to the other one.

The hair on the back of his neck rose on end. Then, with a swiftness that left him breathless, a wave of fear stronger than any he had ever known washed over him. _Death is in the woods tonight. _He turned on his heel and walked quickly away. _I'm sorry Grandmother; I will see you tomorrow.

* * *

_

His father looked up, surprised, when he entered the cottage. "I didn't expect to see you until the morning."

Ken thought for a moment about telling him what he had felt, but he was afraid his father wouldn't believe him. Still, he wanted him to know. "It would have been dark before I got there, and, somehow, I had a strong feeling that I should just turn around and come home."

His father stared at him for a long moment, and Ken wished that for once in his life he could read his expression. Reiji turned back to the fire he was tending. "Then it is good that you came home," he said quietly.

Ken stood staring at his father's back, wondering what exactly he meant by that. He decided against asking and instead put down his basket and changed for bed. "Where's Kase?" he asked after he had lain down.

"He left for your grandmother's several hours ago."

"I'm worried about him," Ken said before he could stop himself. He held his breath, unsure how his father would respond.

For a long moment he didn't say anything. Finally he sighed. "He's been through a lot. Any man who has seen what he has needs time to rest, recover. He'll be fine."

He heard his father stand up, suddenly enough to knock over the stool on which he had been sitting. He swore quietly as he picked it back up.

Biting his lip, Ken rolled onto his side and stared at the wall, a feeling of unease still lingering with him like the smell of burnt food. He heard his father preparing for bed. Shortly he blew out the lantern and he heard the creaking of the wood as the older man lay down across the room. He could feel himself drifting off to sleep when very quietly he heard him say, "I'm worried too."

Ken opened his eyes but didn't say anything. He couldn't remember a time when his father had ever admitted something like that. He found it disturbing and yet at the same time very comforting. _At least I'm not making that up or reacting to nothing. _

He closed his eyes again and drifted back toward sleep. Then, from way off, he heard the howl of a wolf. He sat upright, heart pounding in fear, and he screamed.

* * *

The moon rode full and high in the darkened sky. He could feel it calling to him, illuminating the night, throwing light upon his deeds.

The tanner deserved to die for what he had done to Ken. That was why he killed him. Alone in the forest there was no one to hear him scream. _He was a fool to be out here alone. He's a dead fool now. _He clawed at the body, slashing clothes and flesh. He picked up an arm and gnawed great chunks out of it. _Must blame it on the wolf. If it weren't for the wolf, it wouldn't have happened. I'm not responsible for the wolf, no man is._

_Ripping, slashing, tearing, rending. See how the claw draws blood, see how the fangs rend flesh. Smell the blood and decay. Already the corpse begins to rot, and all the tiny woodland creatures come to watch. They're all afraid of me._

_As they should be._

TBC

* * *

Author's Notes:

Now the only taste of winter I had was about three years ago when my family went for a 2-month summer vacation in Edmonton, Canada. When our plane landed, it was negative 4 (again with the four… Wheeee!) degrees and I swear my face was frozen in a grimace for a few hours after.

I made Ran talkative. Oh the horror! Gomen nasai, avid Ran lovers!

Okees, the world, specifically the Roman Catholic Church abhors homosexuality, it being the sin that was the destruction of Sodom. Being one of the biggest hypocrites, I love yaoi (not yuri though, don't have the stomach for it) and am very accepting of almost all gay people. I don't think yaoi is accepted in medieval times, especially in the era where my Ken and Ran seem to live. Just… go with me on this one, 'kay?

I've been unusually graphic here. Nyaha, must've gotten the vindictive streak from my best friend… or maybe I had it in me all along. Sorry if I made anyone, um, sick up out there.

Now, this chappie explains why wolf Ran becomes Wolf Ran. Many of you might've wondered why Ken hasn't bee turned into a werewolf when he had been bitten twice already. Here's the answer. Ran's family was cursed, and all men would turn into wolves at the event of the full moon. He's not a werewolf, people… or at least, not the conventional kind. Gah, even I don't make sense to me.

And what's up with relatives asking if I have a boyfriend? The older generation are like: "You don't have a boyfriend yet? Good. You should prioritize your studies… blah blah." And the younger generation are like: "You don't have a boyfriend yet! You're deprived." Relatives. Geez.

* * *

Replies to Reviews (Chapter 3)

**Little Fox Kit**Err, I hope this chappie answered your questions. Nope, Ken wasn't bitten by Ran's father. Ran himself was the wolf who bit Ken when he was a child. As for why, well, wouldn't you like a bite of Ken! Even just a tiny, little bit? I do! Nyahahaha! Gomen for making you wait for so long. I really hope this chapter alleviated you somewhat and thanks for being the first reviewer of chapter 3!

**Chitoshiya no Tohma**Ran's not dangerous! He may be evil, sadistic, and totally perilous but he's not dangerous at all! Err, gomen, still feeling a bit dizzy from my boat ride yesterday, ehehehe… Chapter 3 was long? Oh… I guess so. And yeah, Ran is SO sextastic. Did I use that right? (blushes) Thanks for the review!

**RuByMoOn17**Nyahaha! I like your penname! Your style is like my cousin's and she takes too darn long when typing things. Oh well. 'Nyways, thanks SO much for the review!

**Silverfrost**Nyahaha! I get too lazy to sign in too sometimes. And no, I'm not the only Filipino around. Westkitsune is too. She has such great fics! Wai! Long live RanKen! And thanks, I DID have a fun vacation… discounting the fact that I was surrounded by nosy, irritating and totally annoying relatives. You know the like. Geez. Kaya lang, nangitim ako 'coz it's SO fun to, err, splash around in the sea (yeah, not good at swimming). I could be so vain sometimes. Oh well. Thanks for reviewing! (smoochies)

**Brokn Innocence**Whee! Thanks SO much for thinking this crappy fic is intriguing! Thanks SO very much! I hope that I've met your expectations with this latest chapter. Oh, and if you find any mistakes or contrasting facts, feel free to tell me, k? arigatou for reviewing!

**Ru-chan**WAAAAH! I AM SO EMBARRASSED! Thanks SO much for pointing that out to me. My beta thought I did it on purpose so it wasn't her fault. I've fixed the surnames and thanks again for that tip. Waaah! Kase? Nice! Perish the thought! Of course, you're expecting that he's gonna change as the story unfolds, ne? I've left a few clues here and there and it would be better to withhold judgment as to who really did the killings in this story. Oops, I think that was a spoiler. Oh well. Yeah, Ken wouldn't possibly make the connection with Ran and the wolf, but in an era where witch hunting/burning (or in Manx's case, exile) is prevalent, werewolf sightings are pretty numerous too. Oh well, Ken is probably still in awe with Ran's pretty purple eyes (and who could blame him!) so… And yeah, expect regular updates now (weekly or so) 'cause it's summer and I have nothing better to do than write, practice driving, write, go to the mall, write, hang with my friends, oh, and did I say I was gonna write? (although I won't write fics exclusively for WK though.) Thanks for reviewing!

**HeatherR**Nyahaha! I'm back from vacation too and I feel so refreshed! Scratch that. I feel lazy and still woozy from the boat ride yesterday (it was raining so hard and the waves were pitching the ship quite hard and I thought it was SO cool but my mom didn't. Oh well.) Waah! Even with all your support, I'm still unsure about my portrayal of Ran. There is so much more of him that I can't properly grasp, hence the inaccurate rendition of his character, but oh well. I hope this chappie answered some of your questions and alleviated your curiosity somewhat. Thanks for reviewing! (does The Baka Dance)


	5. Part 5

Disclaimer: This (piece of crap), my dear readers, is a fictional work of … something. All characters mentioned belong in the animé series Weiss Kreuz. The plot is taken from the book _Scarlet Moon _by Debbie Viguié. Please don't sue me…?

Warnings: Just the usual OOCness of people. And more gory happenings. For the faint of heart, please refrain from reading (this might be an exaggeration, but no one reads this anyway). Oh, and don't judge wolves so hastily (smirk… oops, I think that was a spoiler for the last chapters). And no, Ken doesn't turn into a wolf, despite your opinions. Yes, he has been bitten twice now, but he is not infected because… you know already, ne? About this chap; well, all I can say is: Poor Ken, and Manx is a lucky girl.

This fic will also be archived in ein mcmilli's site Wintered Snow. Thanks SO much, girl! (huggles) westkitsune has also archived this fic (along with my other Weiss fics) in her C2 "RanKen Meant To Be." Arigatou! (dies of asphyxiation)

To my still-lovable beta, Skyyler-sama: Arigatou! (showers poor girl with a few – hard – boxes of cookies)

Last Saturday, ELana-chan and I went to my best friend's house to (marathon) watch this soccer-based anime called "Whistle!" Of course, we wouldn't even notice it if there weren't hints of yaoi so... we were pleased. One interesting thing to note is one of the characters who is Fuwa Daichi. He's this totally Hiei-like guy who wears all-black, looks like Kaido (from Prince of Tennis), and spouts off data with Inui's (another charac from PoT) voice (they have the same seiyuu!) and I was like "Oh my gosh, Inui and Kaido's love child!" I am so delirious right now.

**Scarlet Moon **

By _Ninetails_

Chapter 5

Sunlight streamed through the tops of the trees, bathing the path in a golden haze. Ken strolled lightly along, his basket clutched in one hand and his other wrapped loosely around the hilt of his knife. He was thinking about his cousin and what he could do to help him, and for once he was able to ignore the whispering of the trees.

It was midmorning. His father was working in the shop all day and had told him to go to his grandmother's early. It was nice to be out of the smoke and the heat. The air was crisp and cold, and he took several deep breaths. Birds were twittering in the trees and darting back and forth across the path before him. They eventually drew his attention away from his dark thoughts.

"It is a beautiful day," he called out loudly to the looming giants surrounding him.

They whispered a reply, but he paid no heed. He paused only to look up at the sun, shielding his eyes from its intense light. When his eyes fell upon a dark form lying just off the path, though, all thoughts of warmth fled. His heart began to pound and he found himself suddenly drenched in a cold sweat. He dropped the basket of food, and it landed with a sharp crack upon a branch. He jumped as the sound continued on around him, echoing and only seeming to build in intensity.

He pulled his knife from his belt and advanced with wary steps. A wind sprung up and the trees rattled their leaves above him. Their swaying caused patterns of light and shadow to play across the ground in a macabre dance.

The dark form was a man, or what was left of him. His throat had been ripped out, and there were deep lacerations and scratch marks all over his body. One arm had been gnawed down to the bone. The ground around him was torn up, with tracks of both a wolf and a man noticeable. The man's blood had seeped into the earth, and drops had scattered upon a few leaves.

His face alone was intact, and by that Ken knew him. It was Simon, the man whom he had fought in the shop. His eyes were fixed in horror, his mouth frozen in his death cry.

Ken fought the urge to fall to his knees and retch. The trees began to shake even more fiercely in the wind, though, and this time their haunting warning was clear to him.

He turned and stumbled back down the path, moving as fast as he could. He snatched up his basket and kept going. A branch snapped behind him, but he was too terrified to look back.

Ahead of him the trees' remaining leaves fell like rain and quickly began to coat the path. He ran through them, wincing as they crackled beneath his feet. His foot caught on a root that he was certain had not been there the week before, and he crashed to his knees. With a thud, his knife fell from his suddenly numb hand to the ground. Ken knelt for a moment, panting.

Then he heard it. Something was coming down the path behind him at a steady trot. He turned around and saw a wolf, fangs bared, six feet from him.

He let out a scream and it lunged at him. He reached for his dagger, knowing that his hand wouldn't find it in time. The beast was upon him, jaws snapping. He rolled to the side and its teeth found only his sleeve. With a tearing sound it came free, and he felt a stinging in his arm where its teeth scratched him.

Then it stopped, snuffling him. It tilted its head and stared at him for a long moment. Ken stared back, and by his eyes, he knew him. It was the wolf that had attacked him as a child. With a cry, he wrapped his fingers around the hilt of his knife, and he swiped at him.

The wolf danced easily out of his reach, though. After a last look at him, it turned and loped off into the trees, his sleeve still in its mouth.

Shaking with fear, Ken pulled himself to his feet, wincing as he put weight on the ankle that had tripped on the root. He stared for a long while into the trees whence the wolf had gone. _Why did he leave me alive? _he wondered. He finally turned and limped the rest of the way.

When he arrived at his grandmother's cottage, he was exhausted in both mind and body. When Manx opened the door and saw Ken, her youthful face drained of all color.

"Child, what happened to you?"

"It was the wolf from so long ago," he whispered.

Without another word, Manx ushered him inside and bade him sit.

Ken accepted the chair gratefully and submitted himself to a thorough examination. Within minutes his grandmother had elevated his ankle and put a poultice of willow wood on it, which eased the swelling. Manx had then washed the scratch on his arm and dressed it with dragonwort to help stop the bleeding.

"The wolf killed Simon the tanner," Ken said at last, his voice too emotionless for the feelings within his heart.

Manx looked up sharply. "Are you sure?"

Ken nodded. "His throat was torn out, his body covered with scratches and partly eaten. There were wolf prints in the dirt, and it wasn't far from there that the wolf attacked me."

Manx picked up Ken's left hand and gently pried his fingers open. Ken stared down numbly as Manx took the knife from his gasp. He hadn't realized he still had been holding it.

"Did you kill him?"

"No, I didn't even touch him. He tore my sleeve and then he just... left."

Manx's eyebrows shot up in a look of surprise that Ken had seldom seen from her. "That does not stand to reason."

"Nor did I think so," Ken admitted.

Outside the wind began to howl angrily around the cabin, shaking the small building in its wrath. "It's an ill wind," Ken said with a shudder.

"Nonsense," his grandmother snorted. "Wind is neither good nor ill, it just is. Its effects we may not like, but the wind itself bears no will of its own."

"That's not what Father says," Ken muttered.

"Well, your father's ignorance is not my doing. He's too much like his own father - too stubborn to learn, unwilling to believe the evidence of his own senses. That's why I named him after your grandfather." Manx sighed in frustration. "At least you shall know better, whether you choose to follow my path or not."

Ken smiled at his grandmother. "I will always follow your teachings, in one way or another."

Manx gazed fondly at him. "That's my good boy. You can also think for yourself, and that is best of all."

Ken nodded, his fear subsiding with each passing moment. It was good to sit, warm and secure, and bandy words with the woman who had taught him so much.

He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "I just wish I knew what stayed the wolf's wrath."

"Might have been the Creator, honey."

Ken opened his eyes and stared in amusement at his grandmother. I'm not sure I will ever understand how your faith could stand steadfast when all you ever rely on is what you can see with your own eyes."

It was an old conversation, but Manx smiled at him with tolerance anyway. "As I've told you before, the study of nature and the world does not preclude the Creator. You do not see the wind, but you feel it and may know its effects. So is it with Him. I do not see the reaction between your skin and the herbs I place upon it, yet I know that it will stop the bleeding faster. I know that it works, even if I do not know how or why."

They fell silent, and once again Ken listened to the howling of the wind. If he closed his eyes, he could almost imagine that it was a hungry wolf prowling around the house and seeking to devour them. He began to tremble.

"Tell me of this young noble you're interested in," Manx asked suddenly.

"How did you know?" Ken asked with a shaky laugh.

Manx just smiled enigmatically. "I have my ways."

Ken shook his head. "And I shall never cease to be amazed by them. His name is Ran, and he is- "

"The earl?" Manx asked, eyes widening and the look of agelessness replacing her youthful features.

Ken nodded.

"Well, that is impressive. Is he handsome?"

Ken felt himself blushing. "I believe so, although he may be more beautiful than handsome since his features are… delicate, almost as that of a girl's. He's taller than I with red hair and violet eyes. He has wide shoulders, but he carries himself with a grace I've never seen in anyone before."

Manx cocked her head. "I believe I have seen such a man in these woods before." She shook her head. "But I cannot be certain of it." There was a moment of silence, and then Manx asked, "Where did you meet?"

"At the shop. His horse had thrown a shoe just down the street."

Manx's face took on a look of mock-horror. "At the shop! Well, at least he's seen you all sweaty and dirty! And has come back for more, as I am hoping," she finished with a sly look.

Ken's blush intensified. "Grandmother," he admonished. "I am not interested in him in _that _way! What would everyone think? Besides, it's unconventional and against the-"

"Nonsense, child. The Creator does not condemn feelings of love to another human being, whether it be a man or a woman. If you like him, then so be it. You should take your chance with him, lest no one else does. It's good to know that you have finally found someone."

Ken began to grow irritated. "Grandmother, I wish you would have more faith in me."

"I do, dear; it's the village people I worry about."

Ken shook his head. "Besides, we barely know each other, and we come from very different backgrounds."

"It wouldn't be the first time a nobleman… chose a commoner, if that is what you're worried about."

"It's not just that," Ken said, shifting in his chair. "It's a great may things. He still acts a little too cold to me for comfort. Perhaps if we get to know each other better, I will have the leisure to speculate on such improbabilities."

Manx leaned forward and touched the cross necklace around Ken's neck. "It looks like it's not a matter of _if_, but rather _when _you get to know each other better." She smiled fondly at Ken. "You asked me how I knew you had met a nobleman. Only a nobleman could afford to give you such a trinket, and only one with a great interest in you would care to."

Ken dropped his eyes to the necklace. "You are right," he whispered, admitting it as much to himself as to his grandmother. "I guess I'm just frightened."

"Of what, dear?"

"Losing myself. When I look into his eyes, I feel as though I am drowning, and I become terrified. What if he does have feelings for me? What is to be done then? All I've ever known is fire and steel, and I don't know how I'd give that up. I don't know who I'd be without them."

Manx clasped him tightly about the neck. "Darling child, what you do does not dictate who you are. Clothed in finery, you would be the same person as you are when covered with ash and soot."

"Do you really think that's true?"

"I know it is. I loved your grandfather, and we were very different people. In loving him, though, and marrying him, I didn't lose myself. Rather, I gained something I had long been in want of. Love makes you more than what you are, not less. Besides, if you're worried that you'll miss 'fire' and 'steel,' you needn't. The fire and steel are in you – they always have been. You need to look no further than right here," she said, tapping Ken's chest.

Manx stood suddenly, and Ken thought he caught the glisten of tears in her eyes. "Now let's check those wounds."

Ken winced as Manx gripped his ankle, but he had to admit that the pain was less than before, and he could move it freely. "You're a miracle worker, Grandmother."

Manx smiled. "I like to think so."

Next she checked Ken's arm. "Bleeding's stopped," she commented. "A couple of days and you won't even see the scratch."

"The same can't be said of Simon," Ken noted grimly.

A shadow passed over Manx's face. "No, though I can't say there are many who will miss him."

"Myself included," Ken admitted hesitantly. It was amazing how quickly his grandmother could distract him from emotional pain as well as physical. As soon as he returned to the village, he would have to send men out to help recover the body. He shivered. "He was the man I fought with at the shop a few weeks ago."

"Strange that you were the one to find him dead."

"Strange indeed," Ken whispered, a shiver slithering up his spine.

* * *

By nightfall the village was in turmoil. The body of Simon the tanner had been retrieved, and everyone had heard the tale of the wolf attacking Ken. A quick search of the woods near where the body had been found had yielded no wolf, and the searchers had to retreat as darkness crept over the land. 

Ken sat on his bed, feet curled beneath him, and listened to the excited murmur of voices in the street. The door opened and Kase entered, shutting it behind him. He came to stand in front of Ken. "Are you alright?"

"Yes."

Kase balled up his right hand into a fist and struck his left palm with it. "I will find the wolf that attacked you and I will kill it," he vowed.

"Thank you," Ken finally said, unsure how else to answer him.

"They are saying that it is a monster, twice the size of a normal wolf."

Ken shook his head. "Those weren't my words. He was large, but I wouldn't say he was monstrous."

Kase shook his head, eyes glinting. "Anything that would attack you can be nothing short of monstrous."

Ken stared at the other man in the light of the flickering candles, and his face looked strange to him. _What has he suffered these many years? _Ken wondered. More and more his cousin seemed a stranger to him. His joy at being home had been short-lived, and of late Ken had heard him cry out in the night, only to find him fast asleep. Even his eyes had grown darker, and with each passing day the shadows around them grew.

"Kase, what is it that haunts you so?" Ken asked, reaching out impulsively to place his hand on the other's shoulder.

His cousin closed his eyes and leaned slightly into his hand. Ken held his breath, for a moment believing he might finally reveal his pain to him. Kase opened his eyes, though, and shrugged his hand off. He took it to brush lightly at his lips before releasing it.

Ken balked at the unusual display.

"Dear cousin, the pain my eyes have seen is not for your ears to hear."

Ken gulped almost audibly, strangely unsettled by his cousin's sudden untoward actions.

"If not mine, then whose?" he whispered, his voice raspy from strange emotions.

Kase smiled darkly. "I do not know, but one day I shall find them and they shall hear their full."

He then turned and left the cottage. Alone in the light of the flickering candles, Ken shivered, wondering how long his cousin was meant to dwell in darkness and pitying him for it.

He lay down at last, convinced he would not sleep. As soon as his eyes closed, though, his body slumped and darkness claimed him.

* * *

As the sun rose in the sky, Ran woke. He blinked sleepily for several minutes as he tried to gather his senses. He stretched slowly and stared at his hands, splaying the fingers as wide as he could. Next he stretched his legs, wiggling his toes. At last, with a mighty shake, he sat up and gazed around him. 

He was in the woods, but nothing looked familiar. _Where am I? _he wondered, feeling slightly dazed. _I need to find my clothes. _

He tried to think back to the events of the night before, but there was nothing, only a gaping hole where his memories should have been. He felt panic rising in him as he realized that the last two and a half days were completely gone.

Rolling over onto his knees, he saw something that made his blood run cold. With a trembling hand he reached out and picked up the torn remnant of a man's sleeve… The light of recognition dawned in his eyes, quickly replaced by the darkness of despair. Ken's.

"What have I done?" he almost wailed, fear showing in his eyes. He pressed the sleeves to his face and grieved. He collapsed back onto the ground, tears streaming out of his eyes, every drop a knife to his heart, until there was nothing left in him.

At last the brief storm passed, and he lay limp and exhausted. He hadn't cried for a _very _long time. By sheer will he finally managed to stand. _I need to find my clothes and go home._

After a couple of minutes he got his bearings and trudged off through the woods. His bare feet padded on the ground, the soles callused from many mornings such as this one. After nearly half an hour he reached his destination. He always left his clothes in the same place so that he could easily find them.

Usually he awoke somewhere near them, though that hadn't happened this time.

_Why can't I remember anything? What did I do? _Questions crowded his mind, and he couldn't cease their clamoring. The moaning of the trees echoed his state.

He spotted his small pile of clothes at the same time he heard someone humming a haunting tune. He ducked behind a thick tree just in time to avoid being seen by a red-haired woman. She seemed to have her age unknown, since she seemed to be younger than he was at one time, and infinitely older in the next, more mature and wise than even _his _years.

_Ken's grandmother_, he realized as he watched her. _It couldn't be anyone else. _

The woman was walking along slowly, a basket on one arm and her eyes fixed on the ground. She suddenly bent over and pulled a plant from the base of a tree. Laying it gently in her basket, she straightened and moved on. She was moving ever closer to his clothes, and if she looked up, she would discover them.

He bent, picked up a stone, and threw it into the woods in the direction away from his clothes. It landed with a loud thud that startled all the birds into silence.

The woman didn't turn around; she didn't even flinch. After a moment, though, she said, "If you want your clothes, you're just going to have to come get them."

He could feel the blood racing in him, and he was afraid. How did this woman know that he was there, watching her? He thought about his options. Clearly she couldn't be fooled or diverted. He could leave and come back later. _But what if she takes my clothes with her? Maybe I can make it back to the castle without being seen. _He rolled his eyes. _That's smart - even if I can make it all the way to the castle, there will be eyebrows raised when I walk into the great hall naked. _

He sighed; there was no help for it. "If milady would avert her eyes, it would be greatly appreciated."

She raised her head, and he could swear he saw a smile dancing on her lips. "Why? If you feel as free as one of the forest creatures, then why should you be ashamed to be seen?"

"It was not my intention to be without my clothes."

"Don't fib, young man. There is no water nearby that you might have been swimming in, and your clothes are laid out too neatly for them to have gotten that way by accident."

"Still, I do not wish to be seen," he said, gritting his teeth and trying to hold on to his patience.

"You should have thought of that before you decide to take your little romp in the woods."

He shook his head. "You're just as difficult as your grandson."

The woman's smile faded suddenly. "You know my grandson?"

"If his name is Ken, then I know him."

"It is," she said, her voice now cautious. "You wouldn't happen to be the young man he saw naked on the path about a month past, would you?"

"I'm afraid so, though I hope he doesn't realize that."

The woman took on a threatening stance, her beautiful features hardening into that of authority he could only wish to attain. "You will leave him alone, young man."

Ran couldn't believe this was happening. He, the earl of Fujimaya, was naked in the forest being lectured by a peasant woman to leave a mere blacksmith alone. _How much stranger does it get than this? _he wondered. He looked down at the torn sleeve in his hand and wished he hadn't. _A lot, stranger if only Ken knew._

"I'm afraid I can't leave him alone. I'm growing quite… fond if him." He deepened his tone, something he did quite rarely; being that he preferred to use a rather monotone voice in addressing his subjects. "Now, good woman, you will turn around so that I may get my clothes."

The woman cocked her head. "Earl of Fujimaya?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yes."

She turned in an instant. "Beg your pardon, milord"

"All is forgiven so long as you keep your back turned," he said, striding out from behind the tree. He reached his clothes and dressed quickly while she stood silent with her back to him. When he was finished, he debated slipping away quietly but realized there was no longer much use in it.

"All right," he said.

She turned slowly, her face ashen.

"I would prefer it if you did not tell Ken of this," he said, still in his deepest voice.

She nodded slightly. "It is our secret. Tell me, why?"

"Why do you find an earl in the woods in a natural state?" he asked, his voice deadpan.

"Yes."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"I'm not so certain of that. There are things that happen out here that no man can explain."

"Nor woman?"

"Nor woman," she affirmed, shaking her head.

"Let's just say I'm following a family tradition and leave it at that."

She smiled suddenly, and he cocked his head. He had an uneasy feeling that she knew something he would not wish her to know.

"Ken is right about you," she said softly. "You are different from what one would expect. You did not have to answer my question."

"Ken is different as well. I've never met anyone like him."

"He's strong, my Ken. Whatever you have to share with him, he can handle it."

A sense of foreboding filled him. "What makes you say that?"

"I've lived in these woods a long time, seen many things. When Ken described to me the man who gave him the necklace, I told him I thought I had seen you in the woods before." She paused for a long minute and gave him a sly look. "I wasn't wrong."

He felt his blood run cold. "What do you mean by that?"

"I think the fewer the words spoken on the subject, the better," she answered. "Now, if you'll excuse me, milord, I have work to attend to."

She curtsied and turned to go, eyes back on the ground.

Ran stared at her retreating back as he pondered on her words. _How much does she know? _he wondered. _And if I don't tell Ken, will she?_

He closed his eyes and prayed for calm. The moon was no longer full, but he could still feel its pull on him, and in many ways he was just as dangerous now as he had been the night before. He turned, at last, and began the long journey out of the forest.

* * *

Ken sat on his bed, impatient and fretful. His father had insisted that he stay off his bruised ankle for another day. It had been three days already, and with nothing to do but relive the attack over and over, he felt that he would go mad. The sun had begun its slow descent in the sky, and he urged it on. 

There was a soft knock on the door, and he hobbled over to answer it. A cloaked and hooded figure dashed past him and entered the room. "Close the door quickly, child," a familiar voice whispered.

Ken hurried to do as he was told. "Grandmother?" he asked wonderingly as Manx pushed her hood back. Fear rushed through him. Manx had only braved coming to the village once before, right after the firs wolf attack, and it had been she who had done much of the work to heal Ken's legs.

"Shh, yes," Manx said, her youthful features tense but her eyes were shining with excitement.

"What are you doing here?" Ken asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I came to bring you something."

"What?"

Manx pulled something from a basket she was carrying. She unfolded it, and in her hands she held a cloak of scarlet.

Ken stiffened, feeling suddenly faint as he remembered another red cloak he had worn years ago, the day he was attacked by the wolf. He remembered too seeing the dark bloodstains on the tattered garment before his father had disposed of it.

Manx must have seen Ken's hands beginning to shake, for she hastened to say, "This one will offer you unique protection from all manners of attackers."

"How?" Ken whispered.

With a smile Manx showed him the inside of the garment. There, stitched in the lining, were strips of his brother's armor. Prominently displayed was the crescent moon, still covered with blood.

"It is heavy, but it might one day save your life. As your brother protected you before, so will he now."

"Thank you," Ken said, tears springing to his eyes. He stood and tried on the cloak. It was indeed heavy, and the metal banged against his hip, but he felt safe. He closed his eyes and imagined his brother once again beside him, comforting and protecting him. Slowly his image of his brother faded, though, and was replaced by another. A smirk taunted him, and he found himself smiling as he opened his eyes.

"And how is Lord Ran?" Manx asked shrewdly.

"I haven't seen him since you and I last spoke," Ken admitted. _It's amazing how she can always tell what I'm thinking._

"It's a gift," Max said, smiling.

Ken shook his head "Grandmother, sometimes I think you truly are a mind reader."

"If I were, I wouldn't admit it."

Ken spun slowly, favoring his injured foot, getting used to the weight of the cloak and the way it moved. It had an attached hood, and he pulled it up slowly until it covered most of his head.

"Red is your color, my dear, and it looks dashing on you," Manx said with a small smile.

"Thank you, Grandmother."

"I must go quickly, but you must promise me to always wear it when walking through the woods."

"I will, Grandmother," Ken assured her, fear once again squeezing at his heart. "Is everything well?"

The woman's youthful face turned thoughtful and a little bit more older. "Let us hope that it is, Ken. Only time will tell for sure. Now I must go."

"Thank you."

"You are welcome," Manx answered. She put her hood back up over her head, crossed to the door, and left as quickly as she had come.

After a moment, Ken took off the cloak and sat back down on his bed, clutching the garment in his hands.

TBC

* * *

Author's Notes: 

I hope I didn't make Ken all girly here, the lead character of the book is, after all, a girl. So sorry for the terribly inaccurate rendition of our favorite Weiss bishounen. Oh, and you may ask where I keep getting the herbs' name. It's from the book (Scarlet Moon).I was too lazy to do my own research, and I admit to just typing up random wiccan herbs I recall from days of yore (meaning when I did some research for my Com class). Err, oops?

Any questions will be answered in the end of this absurdly slowly-updated fic. If not, a very advanced gomen nasai.

Oh yeah, there will be a significant non-appearance of Ran and Ken in the next chapter to give way for a few more… characters whom you all know and (hopefully) love. Oops. Was that another spoiler? It will also be significantly short, much to my relief, since it's only a filler chapter.I really can't generate fics right now, with the Pope's death and people bashing me and stuff, so I apologize profusely.

* * *

Replies to Reviews (Chapter 4): Geez people, you truly are scaring me. What would prompt you to write the reviews you did? (checks back on chapter 4) Oh. Ehehehe… since Elana-chan lectured me on not being affectionate with my dear reviewers, I decided to give each and every one of you a pocky… no, wait, pocky is MINE!... a box of cookies and assorted candies of your choice (since it would be impossible for me to know what you favor; or even if you like cookies and stuff). Oh, Elana-chan has always been mentioned in my fics; she's the girl who converted me into a YoujixOmi fangirl so... She's gonna post a YxO fic this week so I'm thrilled about it 'coz she asked ME of all people to beta read it. Wai! 

**Ru-chan** Wai! You liked it! Wow. (does The Baka Dance for an unmentionable amount of time) Kase? Evil! Perish the thought! He's the one who killed Simon? I don't think so. Really. Watch me gloat. Ehehehe… Geez, you're too perceptive for your own good (stares unblinkingly at Ru-chan). Demo, I think he honestly likes to learn from Manx because he wants to cure himself of the darkness in him but I think that's another spoiler again so I'll stop. Why are we so prejudiced with Kase? I know that he betrayed Ken's trust and almost killed him and all, but there's hope for salvation, ne? (Gods, what is this drivel I keep spouting!) Ehehehe… I honestly can't remember Kase; I think I haven't watched that ep, so I dunno how he looks like. If I did, he would be an Unmentionable. Okay, I gotta stop boring you. Thanks SO much for being the first reviewer of chappie 4 (GO 4!) and I really hope you would update Demon Ring 'cause I'm SO starved for ryuxtat fics right now. (puppy-dog eyes) Here's a box of dough – err, I mean cookies for you! Hope you like 'em! (huggles)

**angeli-sama** You actually loved the kiss! I loved it too although I thought that it could have used more fluff and stuff. (eek, that rhymed!) Wolf Ran would be the sexiest wolf ever! I wouldn't mind being bitten by him, even through all the lacerating pain and whatever. Yeah, I AM demented. Aww, but I hafta admit that Kenken IS scared of the wolf. There's no escaping that. Unlike us, he doesn't know that the totally adorable – err, I mean, the totally scary wolf is actually his Ran. Eh? Why did you glare at westkitsune's ID? (ponders on it until she remembers that her brain ain't functioning) Thanks SO much for reviewing! (huggles; oh, and here's a box of – is box the right word? Maybe it should be a _tin _– of cookies. Enjoy!)

**westkitsune** Kase is a pain? Why? He's harmless… for now. And no, even though it's in my Favorites list, I haven't read "Love on a Leash" yet. It's too… well, long. And I'd rather like to read Atsureki's other fics: "Please Give Me Another Chance" and "Weiss Reiter," and I am so sad 'coz they ain't finished yet (gets enveloped into a cloud of depression). Ugh, Sponge Cola's "Crazy for You" is running through my head since yesterday and I can't stop singing it! Waaaah! Help! Aww, thanks for rec'cing me to angeli-sama and I love fantasy SO much (it's the only thing I read nowadays) that it's all I write about these days. Yeah, Ran is HOT! Though why you think my portrayal of Ran is hot is still a mystery to me. I wouldn't get enough of the kiss if Ran is doing it to me too (eek, AWAY hentai thoughts!). Ken is still terrified of the wolf for now, but let's see how he would react when he finds out (meaning I haven't worked it out yet…) You wanna read the book? Aww… then you won't have a reason to read my fic anymore 'coz you'll know the denouement! It's a great book though, although the middle chapters are a bit of a drag. Oh well. Your fics ARE great , and I'm relieved that I wrote that. I can't generate reviews these days 'coz the 2 fics I'm working on is taking up all my brain power. Too bad about the boyfriends, ne? All girl's school? Could it be St. Scho? Oooh, many incidents of lesbian stuff in those settings, ne? I have this friend who just came out (she has a girlfriend), and even though UP prides in being a rad school, I was fairly… perturbed. Creepy. I haven't heard of Velvet Goldmine but I would like it if you tell me. I have a feeling that this is getting insanely long so, ja! (hands westkitsune a box of cookies – with all the cookies intact, thankfully)

**HeatherR** Whee! YOU think it's excellent! (dies of hyperventilation) Waah, you wanna buy the book too? Then you won't have reason to read this (crappy) fic 'cause you're gonna know what happened! (runs away bawling). 'Nyways, I'm glad that the last chapter answered some of your questions. Don't worry though 'cause the questions left unanswered (and definitely unasked) will be answered, some day, in the next chappie perhaps? Yeah, Ran is the unjustifiable victim of his ancestor's stupidity (or was it bloodlust?) He was a bit… sadistic in his younger (wolf) days but he's understandably unused yet to his interesting condition so the wolf in him could be a bit… unrestrained, ne? (I'm full of un's- today) Ran is a complex character so I'd consider myself lucky if I do his persona justice. Oh, that little lecture you had reminded me of Dan Brown's novels. And I knew all about that whole inhospitality bit (I think I read it in a magazine, of all places) and I was preaching it to some of my cousins and I got into a little war with my grandma (a devout Catholic) so… Ugh. I hate not being able to explore the facets of my religion (but I do it anyway, ehehehe). (hands HeatherR a box of assorted cookies – without any being munched on) I'm proud of myself.

**Chitoshiya no Tohma** Whee! I'm deliriously happy about that first kiss (although it could use some – okay, make that a lot – of work)! Ooh… I like that "oh-so-bad good guys" bit. It fits Ran to a T. Aww, you're another one who hates Kase? Why! Waaaaah! (watch me mock-bawl) Yeah, I think he'll _try _to learn Manx's skills. As for his success, we shall see. As for why… I don't know. Really. Whee! You thought it was great! (faints and bonks head on convenient table – I'm a regular masochist, ne?) Here's the next one and I fervently hope that you like it. (hands Chitoshiya a box of animal-shaped cookies) Ehehehehe…. Time for a little variety, ne?

**orangejuicehugger** Strangest name so far… and I love it! Nyahahaha! Elana-chan simply _loved _you review, might I add. What do you mean by "I am so impressed by the way your writing has gotten since you started posting!"? (looks suspiciously at her/him/it?) I'm gonna take it as a compliment though (watch me escape from reality). Waaaiiii! Thanks SO much for thinking that this is fantastic and all that shit. (huggles orangejuicehugger to death) Ugh, don't read it too much or you'll get a migraine! (or maybe that's only in _my _case…) Wheee! Thanks SO much for reviewing! (hands him/her/it a box of cookies complete with assorted candies and other sweet stuff)

**Brokn Innocence** Kase? Evil intentions? Where? What! Huh? (watch me play oblivious for an absurd amount of time) Ehehehehe, maybe. I still dunno. I might add a few twists or something, but right now, my brain can't handle it. Thanks SO much for thinking it was a great chapter! … As much as you would just want them to _disappear and leave you alone, _they're your relatives (sighs frustratedly) Your mind went blank? Whee! Mine does too… a few too many times to make me alarmed, but who cares? It's a fun experience! (ignores disturbed stares aimed at her) I hope that you're alright now… (kitty-kat eyes) Hope you like the new installment! (hands a heavy tin of cookies to BI – gomen, too lazy to type) Thanks for reviewing! (huggles)

**RosefaerietaleRed** You liked it! You really did! I admit that I had a lot of trouble with Ran and Ken's conversations/interactions so I'm happy that it paid off. You're another one of those Kase-haters, ne? I am too! Whee! (goes around the room dancing absurdly) I haven't watched the whole series yet so forgive me if I depicted anyone too lousy (especially Kase, I don't recall seeing him yet… and I'm too lazy to find his pic on the net so…) Thanks SO much for reviewing! (hands Rose a box of yummy cookies while trying hard not to swipe some) Ugh, I seriously have to restrain myself more.


	6. Part 6

Standard disclaimers apply. Please don't sue me!

Warnings: Absolute OOCness ensues. There's absolutely no RanXKen action in this chapter. I intend to tell the tale of the guy you've all been waiting for… Aw c'mon, I don't need to tell you, ne! Enjoy! (meaning, don't kill me…)

For **Chitoshiya no Tohma**I'm sure you know who I am talking about so you may skip reading this chapter for the sole fact that your hated character is, well, here. I promise that Ken would be in the next chapter, ok? Ehehehe…

Okay, here's the beta'ed version! Arigatou Skyyler-sama! (n.n)

My goal in life is to collect the Gravitation Remix mangas by Maki Murakami-sama.

**Scarlet Moon**

By _Ninetails_

Chapter 6

Omi walked on through the woods, deep in thought. His steps were slow and careless, unmindful of the possible danger that visible trail marks could entail. Deep blue eyes were trained to the ground, unseeing, unmindful of the scenic route or the various vegetation that would normally take up all his attention. His young brow was uncharacteristically furrowed, the expression out of place on his still boyish features.

His cousin was acting more mysterious these days. Granted that he was always aloof and mysterious, but this time, something was obviously bothering him… a lot… enough for it to show.

The boy sighed, rubbing the rather tight shirt his maid insisted on dressing him in. The velveteen material was impractical for a rather warm morning, but he couldn't be seen in anything less. It was hard to be related to a marquis, harder still to be his cousin. He wasn't of royal blood himself; his mother and Ran's, both commoners, were sisters. Sadly, his aunt passed away a few years ago, and he felt the change of Ran's demeanor more keenly at that time from a brooding lad to a downright solemn man.

His younger sister, Aya, was sent to a convent soon after for reasons quite unknown to Omi. When he finally ventured to ask Ran why, he almost thought that the knowledge wasn't worth the sight of naked pain etched in his amethyst eyes. "To remain safe from me."

As far as he knew, his cousin never visited her. He would sometimes caress the necklace left to him by his mother, a cross, that he remembered he saw around Aya's throat. At those times, Omi longed to draw Ran into a hug and comfort him, but there was something in his stance that entreated to be alone, to be one with his pain. Recently, he did not see that necklace with Ran.

Omi didn't like to stay in the castle. He felt that there were too many secrets, too much pain lurking in every nook and crevice of the fortress. He himself was affected by the gloom of the palace, which he couldn't afford, because it was bad enough to see his cousin pining away in that… place. He did his best to cheer Ran up even a little bit, his cheeks sometimes aching from all the smiling he had to do. Good thing his ridiculous behavior was paying off… most of the time.

His cousin was a handsome man, although his reputation seemed to precede that, so he was always alone, feared by many. Ever since Omi could remember, his cousin had always been like that. His somber expression, unsmiling features, cold eyes and aloof demeanor were enough to stave off even the most persistent courtier. Yet sometimes, Ran would gift him with one of his rare smiles, and everything would be all right again.

As the boy continued to walk, he lost track of where he was and suddenly found himself in an unfamiliar and utterly obscure part of the woods. _Oh no. Ran is going to thoroughly disembowel me with his sword! He always warned me not to venture too far into the woods, _he reprimanded himself, belatedly repenting his decision to stroll through the woods to get away from the palace staff.

He squinted down at the uneven ground, trying vainly to recall all the forest tracking skills drilled into him by his father. He almost cried out in dismay; the terrain he was travelling on was rocky, the disturbances on the ground almost too imperceptible to discern. What he could have left as footprints were marred by the thick carpet of leaves that was continuously growing, the leaves slowly drifting down from the trees like rain. He sighed once again and decided that since he was already lost, he should just walk around until something struck him as familiar. Worst thing to do for a wise woodsman, but he always relied on his instincts, and it had never failed him yet.

It was still early morning, the sun barely near the zenith, and Omi enjoyed the cool breeze playing with his blonde locks, making him contemplate the conundrum that was his life. He and his cousin didn't have a thing in common. His own face was still too soft, too rounded, as that of a child. His cousin's was all smooth angles and sharp features. And his eyes…

Ran's violet eyes told a tale of woe, of sorrow too deep that it cut through bone. Omi sometimes shuddered at their depths; violet eyes akin to that of his uncle's. Eyes that were passed on for seven generations. When he would pass by the wall where the portraits of the Lords of Fujimiya hung, he would gaze deeply into the eyes of each, and he noticed that the eyes of Ran's namesake, as well as of the men succeeding him, had the same bleak look in his eyes. There was a secret there, and Omi ached to know and heal it.

He heard the telltale splashing of a lot of water and knew with slight surprise that he was quite close to the river. He suddenly fancied a little dip in the cool waters to soothe his already overheated body despite the chilly air, too exhausted from his long walk.

He quickened his steps and soon after, he was rolling up his trousers and dipping his feet in the cool water, his boots forgotten on the slick bank of the river. Laughter bubbled up from inside him, bursting forth in a fit of hearty chuckles. No one would see him here, no one would judge what he was, what he ought to be. They said he was too flighty, that he should know better, and that he had duties to uphold, being near-relative to the Lord of the land. He tried to please them, and acting his age was a rare luxury. So there he was, ankle-deep in rushing water and giggling like a little child.

A slight blush suffused his cheeks as that certain thought crossed his mind. Oh well… no one could witness his humiliating actions here… wherever _here _is.

He spotted a floating figure farther down the river, and he suddenly tensed.

For days now, news about the _Lorena's _fateful sinking circulated the land and now flooded his mind; he wondered whether that figure could be…

He warily approached, lifting his knife from its jeweled scabbard before advancing further.

When he was in a fairly safe distance from the dark figure lying facedown on the damp ground of the riverbank, he stopped and surveyed the bedraggled figure of what he surmised to be a man.

His clothes were tattered, and his tanned skin was bruised, his stubbled face pale and haggard-looking. There were numerous scratches on his body that were still bleeding, seeping into his once-white shirt. Omi breathed a sigh of relief to see the man's back still heaving. Feeling pity overcome him, the boy hastily bent down to do what he could to help.

He gently poked the broad shoulder, still wary despite his compassion for the distraught man. The man stirred, groaning in what could only be pain. Omi helped the man turn over onto his back, feeling his body's weakness as he settled the man's head on his lap. He cursed himself silently for not bringing anything but the clothes he wore; he did not intend for this to be a long walk after all.

He scrutinized the man's injuries. He seemed to be beaten up badly, and his hands were bloody, some of the skin peeling off. _He must have struggled for his life… by holding on to something, maybe a plank or a mast of the ship. _

A few days ago, the great ship _Lorena _carrying more men from the ruins of the Holy Land unexplainably sank. People speculated that it was an omen of bad things that would happen in the Crusades, some said it was a sign of great famine. He heard one of the guards say it was the fault of half-rabid men who were too eager to put their feet on solid ground of their homeland. Omi didn't know what the connection could be.

Some of the seamen were found floating near the limestone cliffs, other weren't able to make it. Less than half of the crew and passengers were recovered, and they said that there were no other survivors. A few days after the tragedy, men stopped looking.

Apparently, they haven't searched enough. This man clearly was one of the victims of the wreck, if the seaweed clinging to his arms and legs and a few certain echinoderms latching onto his hair were to go by.

The boy suddenly felt despair overwhelm him. How was he to help this man in the middle of nowhere without any medicinal supplies whatsoever! The man he cradled in his arms suddenly started to struggle as unintelligible words poured from his chapped lips. Omi's foremost thought as he grappled with the distraught man's flailing limbs was that he must bring this man to the nearest healer and _fast_.

"Sir? Sir? Please, can you hear me?" he asked tremulously as he gently shook the figure's shoulders, waiting for any reply. The man moaned louder and Omi was afraid that he had aggrieved his injuries more. He continued to call out to the man, desperately hoping for a coherent response.

The man jerked from his light grip and sat up, opening his eyes and turning to look at him.

Omi was completely enthralled by the greenest eyes he had ever seen. The man before him wrinkled his brows before trying to form his mouth into words. "A-angel?" he said, voice raspy from disuse.

Omi blushed profusely, hastily shaking his head before answering. "No, sir. I am Omi and I found you in a very uncomfortable position on the riverbank. I wish to give aid to your hapless state… if only we could reach my home…" he answered, suddenly feeling disheartened once again at the prospect of trying to find his way back.

The man's eyelids were getting heavy, and his already slumped form stooped further back into Omi's embrace, which made the boy's blush more vivid. The last thing the man's slurred voice uttered sounded like "Ken" before heavy lids covered his emerald eyes and exhaustion overcame him.

Only one thing predominated Omi's mind. He had to let this man live.

* * *

Omi managed to get the man's cooperation and they walked, or in the other's case, stumbled back to the castle. The man was very weak, and yet he found the strength to journey through the rough terrain of the forest. Omi did his best to support him, the man's arms around his shoulders and almost all of his weight on him. He first supported the man by holding his waist, but seeing his painful wince, Omi opted to slide his arm lower to his hip. He could feel the man's sinewy muscles straining beside him, and he blushed once again before putting everything into the back of his mind. He had a mission set out for him. 

Since the river was behind them, he knew the castle's direction to be north-west since he once saw a map of his Lord uncle's farther lands. The sun was already at its peak, and sweat caused his shirt to cling quite unpleasantly to his back, in spite of the autumn wind caressing the darkening forest.

Progress was slow. The man's lurching steps would prompt him to slow down his pace further for fear of aggravating the man's waning strength. Leaves rained down on them, hastily shed by the trees as if to caress the man in pain. The cool breeze made him shiver, and he hastily checked the man shuddering in his half-embrace. Would they make it in time?

He gritted his teeth at the sudden pain of the thought of losing this man. They would make it, whatever it took. Whatever he must do.

The trees seemed to whisper, their words indistinct to his untrained ear. Indistinct conversations, explanations, demands seemed to be directed at him as he passed by their gnarled shadows. The wind picked up speed, blowing at his back, seeming to push him into hurrying further east. _Yes, hurry_, it seemed to whisper, and he shivered once again. Complying, he turned right, heeding the wind's direction and his instincts.

When he felt that the man couldn't walk any further, he would sit him on a convenient tree stump or any thick moss. At these frequent short breaks, he would scavenge for any fruit he could find and feed it to the ravenous man whenever he was lucid enough to eat. To do this, he had to climb a few trees, and thankfully spotted the castle's parapets. In this way, they slowly approached the castle.

Once near enough for the sentries to spot them, Omi called out for help. Soon after, a swarm of uniformed men ran for him and took the burden of the man's weight from his arms. Omi sagged with relief, feeling drained and bereft of reason. They put the man on a hammock before bringing him inside the castle, presumably to the healer.

Omi wanted to follow the other man's supine form, but he was too tired. One of the castle staff brought him fresh towels and escorted him to his room. As he laid down on his downy bed, his thoughts drifted back to the man with the beautiful green eyes, his soft alto voice calling him "Angel."

Omi smiled, looking out his window at the late morning sun. He would rest for a while, before checking up on the man. He drifted off with a small smile on his face.

* * *

Omi woke up with a start, and he looked out his window to see the sun almost setting. He took his sweaty clothes off and took a quick bath in his washroom before donning on a fresh outfit. For some reason, he took great care in selecting his clothes, opting for light trousers and a cerulean shirt. He hunted for his favorite coat before setting off to find the man he rescued from near demise. 

He was directed to the castle infirmary and he warily approached, peeking in to see the Master Healer bent over one of the beds, applying salve onto the sleeping man's bruises.

Now that the man was fairly clean, Omi saw the creamy skin softly glowing in the candlelight, crisscrossed here and there with faded and fading scars. He slid his gaze up only to be awed at the man's beautiful features, his face finally clear of stubble, grime, and the sea's entrails. A small frown marred the perfect visage, and Omi longed to smooth it away.

"This man has suffered a lot. He has numerous scars on his body, not all of them new, and he has a few fractures on his ribs, which are healing quite fast. But with him alone in an isolated place, I don't think he could have survived. His apparent struggle to dry land also worsened the state of his health. A very fortunate occurrence that you found him, else he might be…" The Healer trailed off, seeing the pained look in the boy's eyes.

The robed figure of the healer hastily checked the patient over one last time before bundling up his supplies. "Good night, young master. Rest assured that this man will heal in time. You did a good thing for him." And with that, the old man left, catching the smile sent to him by the boy.

Omi pulled a chair over and sat down near the bed, checking the man for any other sign of pain. As he looked at the frown on his face, he slowly reached out and gently ran his fingers over the man's furrowed brow, smoothing the frown away. The man smiled in his sleep. Omi noted the silkiness of his skin, warm against his fingers.

Too warm.

Omi frowned.

"So the rumors are true. You brought a man home," a slightly amused voice sounded from the doorway, startling Omi and causing him to snatch his hand away with a guilty expression. He turned around to see his cousin smirking at him.

"Don't scare me like that, Ran!" he said, a touch breathy as he calmed down his rapidly palpitating heart.

"Aren't you going to explain him to me?" the other man asked, casting the man on the bed a slightly suspicious look. He slowly approached his younger cousin, giving him a small smile before settling a few feet beside him.

"Oh, I'm sorry for bringing him here, but this was the closest place I could think of. I found him near the river, unconscious, in a considerably worse state than how you see him now. I woke him up enough to drag him over here. I suspect that he's a survivor of the _Lorena _and the tides might have brought him near the river," Omi related, gaze riveted to the peaceful face of the sleeping man.

"The _Lorena_, hm? He is one of the Crusaders, I hazard. I will ignore the fact that you blatantly ignored my commands by walking to the river for now," Ran said almost sternly and his cousin gave him an innocent grin before he continued. "I shall leave this man's welfare to you until this matter is cleared," Ran said with a slight glint in his eyes. Omi was surprised. His cousin had been going out of castle for frequent trips to only he knew where these days, and this change in attitude… unnerved him.

His cousin gently cuffed his cheek. "Don't look so surprised. I could see how important he is for you." At his younger cousin's steady blush, Ran let out a quiet chuckle and gave him a knowing look. "I know how you feel, Omi," he said with an almost saucy wink. "Don't stay up too late," he continued, and Omi could feel himself gape at his cousin's uncharacteristic behavior.

With a last half-bow, Ran walked back to the door with graceful, noiseless steps. Omi watched his black embroidered shirt until the door entirely concealed his view of it.

_Something has happened to him. Something that makes him mope one time, and laugh the next. Could he be…? _He blinked at the direction his thoughts were taking_. Impossible. Right? Or isn't it?_

Before he could give himself a headache, he reverted his thoughts back to the man he saved. It was embarrassing to be thought of as an angel. The man must've thought that he was…

Omi abruptly stood up to fetch the bowl of water on the far side of the room, eager to escape the despondent thoughts his consciousness was drifting to. He was pleased to discover a washcloth immersed in the cool liquid. He approached the bed and placed the bowl on the bedside table. He wrung out the cloth before folding it and gently placing it on the man's burning forehead. He pulled the down blanket higher up the man's frame, tucking him in securely to retain warmth to ward off the slightly cool air despite the hearty blaze of the fireplace.

He sat down again, staring at the still form. His fingers, of their own volition apparently, caressed the man's long locks before slipping through the silky strands.

Omi sighed. It wasn't fair for men to give up their lives so easily, to have the life they cherished taken away so forcefully. His heart grieved for the victims (or heroes?)of the Crusades; for the brave men (his father included) who were willing to give up everything for the pope's Holy War. The things this man must have gone through…

At the thought of the beautiful man experiencing pain, Omi felt his heart lurch. Certainly, he did not deserve this cruel twist of fate.

The candlelight played with the man's features, the alternating shadows and brightness managing to give the man lying so still on the bed an ethereal look. Omi felt his heart beating rapidly. A sudden jolt of realization made his blue eyes widen. _Could it be? _This _man? Out of all the people, could he be the one I…? _

He stared, wide-eyed at the still figure on the bed. _Impossible! We haven't even properly met! This is illogical, silly at the least. Get a hold of yourself Omi Tsukiyono! Think about the things people will berate you with! _he chastised himself furiously, feeling his heart flutter with an unknown and not entirely unpleasant feeling.

He continued to gaze at the man's almost surreal beauty before a completely wild and unconventional thought crossed his mind. Feeling completely under the man's spell, Omi languidly inclined nearer to the bed until his face was inches apart from the other's face. He gently lowered his lips onto the other's, feeling the dry lips of the man beneath him and savoring his strangely sensual taste.

The man stirred a little before groaning and opening his eyes. Omi quickly sat up and stuttered an apology, bowing his head in utter shame. He suddenly felt pressure on his arm and saw the man's hand atop his. He looked up and his eyes were riveted to the other man's emerald eyes, their lush color leaving the younger man in complete awe. Heavy eyelids blinked, dark eyelashes almost touching the man's cheek, and sharp verdant eyes observed the smaller figure sitting before him. Omi felt his heart beating more rapidly as he was put under the intense scrutiny.

A glint of recognition entered the man's eyes and he gave a small smile to the boy. He opened his mouth, but no words were formed, a pained look on his face. Omi rushed to the side table and retrieved a glass of water, taking the cloth from his forehead before helping the man gingerly sit up to drink. He held the glass to the other's mouth as he drank. He watched the slender throat move with every gulp, the lips moistening with water as he drank his fill. He felt the strangest sensations travelling along his body, but he paid them no heed.

When the man had enough to drink, Omi placed the glass back onto the table and gently laid him down once again onto the pillows he set in a mound behind the man's half-seated figure. He noted the winces and tiny gasps, evidence of the man's pain. His heart longed to ease away his suffering.

"Thank you," a raspy voice said, and the boy faced the speaker, the man giving him another smile. He felt himself blush once again as he shyly returned the smile.

"I'm glad that we made it back to the castle in time, and I'm glad that you are safe. Oh, I apologize profusely for my rudeness! I am Omi Tsukiyono, cousin of Lord Ran Fujimiya. I assure you that your presence is welcomed in his castle," he finished, giving the man a cursory glance amidst the shelter of his sandy bangs.

"I…" the man started, before a frown once again marred his features.

"Is something the matter?" Omi asked, bothered by the troubled look on his face.

"No, I…. I am Youji…" the man on the bed said, voice trailing off in a whisper despite the slight triumph in his eyes.

The other man surveyed his surroundings for a while, finally resting his eyes back to the boy who had saved him from certain death. The boy was nearing the end of his transformation into manhood. His skin glowed with a healthy vibrancy, and the skin on his cheeks was rosy. He blinked. He knew it was impolite to stare too much, or indiscreetly. The boy – Omi – had a pretty face, almost too feminine, but still withholding an amount of masculinity that warrants him as a man. He noted the slightly developed muscles somewhat obscured by the youth's blue shirt. Then his eyes slid down to Omi's waist to spy a jeweled dagger. He frowned slightly. Something about that dagger tickled at his thoughts.

Omi smiled again, giving him a huge grin. _A fitting name for one so…._ He hastily shook his head to clear away the wayward thoughts."I am very pleased to make your acquaintance, Youji. May I inquire as to where you have come from?" the younger man asked, trying to distract himself from his wayward thoughts.

Youji grimaced, a distraught look on his face as he gave Omi a lost look.

"I… cannot remember."

TBC

* * *

Author's Notes: 

Don't like yxo? Too bad.

Okay. Some of the things here are inconsistent (or should it be accurate?), I know. Like how Youji could be swept upstream; I mean, rivers flow _towards _the ocean, ne? If someone thinks up an explanation as to why Youji was conveniently on the spot where Omi could easily find him (NO, "fate," "dumb luck," or "the power of love" won't do), good for you. I am currently lacking a few hundred brain cells to put _why _in this fic. As for Omi's name… well, I already started with Fujimiya, ne? Yup, this fic does have a western feel to it, so please forgive the Japanese names… I couldn't possibly invent a new surname for our favorite bishies, ne? So sorry for a bad chapter, I just had to get this out of the way to proceed with the plot. I honestly don't know if I'll make another chapter relating the budding, err, (dare I say) romance between these two. I haven't thought that far yet. Besides, I can't think of any more plot to continue their story… meaning I'm too lazy to do so (lacking a few brain cells, remember?). I might make another chapter concerning their story, but don't hold your breaths (in pain of experiencing apnea). I also might just let all of them reunite and solve Youji's amnesia (?) in the last chapter. Gomen to all youjiXomi fans out there if I didn't do their love justice! (hastily hides under convenient… microwave oven)

And yes, this is the shortest chapter ever (so I'm making it up with this absurdly long author's note). I also got distracted with my GW fic "Out of the Sea," which is disturbingly attracting the most weird and downright uninspiring reviews… Oh well. Just a bit miffed 'coz it's a Gundam Wing fic and a parody (sort of like Scarlet Moon) of my all-time favorite fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" and people don't seem to appreciate it. (sighs) That's the life of a fic writer for you.

As I am typing this, my brother is watching this show called "Nginig" (Shiver); the episode teaches1 people without the third eye to see "shadow people." The "Questors" (as I think they are called) are hunting for ghosts and other entities in a Disco bar. I am never entering a disco ever again. Or some place with strobe lights at least; after all, you never know if the person you're dancing with… is a person, ne? It's seriously creeping me out and my brother is laughing at my expense, darn him.

* * *

Replies to Reviews (Chapter 5): 

**Chitoshiya no Tohma** I'm SO sorry! This chapter is just a filler and I'm sorry if it wasn't up to anyone's standards and all that crap. Wait, Little Red Riding Hood Kenken… (gets a glazed look) Wow. I wish I could draw that, but since I couldn't even draw a straight line… (starts bawling) Thanks, that conversation caused my head to ache unbearably, thanks for appreciating that. Would it be ok to give you a box of pocky instead? Flavor of your choice! (chocolate and almond are MINE!) Oh, and here's a blueberry cheesecake for you for being the 1st reviewer of chapter 5.

**Brokn Innocence** Err, I think I answered all your questions with this chapter, ne? Ehehehe… (sweatdrops) Thanks SO much for the review! (huggles) Here's a blueberry cheesecake for ya!

**RosefaerietaleRed** Nyahaha! Err, Manx didn't really take Ran's clothing. She was just (conveniently) there to spy on Ran's state of undress (snickers). Thanks SO much for the review! I hope you're not averse to a blueberry cheesecake!

**HeatherR** Wai! I love that wolf-Ran snuffling bit too! (starts drooling) Btw, thanks for replying to my review. I SO love you! (huggles HeatherR to near-death) I wish I was that close to our dog. I'm a bit wary of animals. Childhood trauma. (wince) Thanks for thinking that it was a wonderful chappie! Ugh, my head still aches when I think about what I've been through to get that out. Religion, such an interesting topic, ne? Oh, yeah, the Pope was a very great man. Thanks for the review! Hope you like blueberry cheesecake!

**Silverfrost** Err, I _was _from UP (Manila), but I transferred 'coz I couldn't shift to the course of my dreams (shrugs). I still go there a lot and hang with my ex-block mates. So sorry for that misunderstanding. 'Nyways, everyone is prejudiced about Kase, ne? Him taking up Manx's trade to separate Ran and Ken? Hmm… Maybe. Still not sure (sweatdrops). Thanks SO much for the review! Here's a blueberry cheesecake for you!

And now I'm off to eat a late brunch.


	7. Part 7a

Standard disclaimers apply. Please don't sue me!

Warnings: I am now officially having trouble with this fic. I feel that I'm just rambling in order to get the important stuff out. I have the worst luck! I have all summer to do this fic and my unruly brain decided to go into a block. Good thing I was more than half-through with this chapter when I lost inspiration. Yippee. What's up in this chapter? Ran and Ken confess. Oops, was that a spoiler? Oh well… Oh, and I decided to just insert Omi in a couple (or more) chapters so we'll see what's happening in the yxo world. That ok? No, don't answer that.

At last, after the shortest chapter ever (I uploaded the beta'ed version btw), here comes the longest chapter ever… I hope. That's why I decided to cut it into two parts. Part two is coming up soon. My fingers hurt, and I feel my first ever migraine coming. (shuts herself off in her room)

My goal in life is to acquire a copy of the manga "Boys Next Door." Yes, I know its morbid story, and yes, I still want it.

I am now officially hooked into Naruto (specifically the sasunaru pairing). It started with doujinshis, then fics. Whee! New fandom! I like Sasuke 'cause he's angsty; I like Naruto 'cause he's angsty and he's the Kyuubi. (stares pointedly at her penname) Okay, enough with the dribble and on to the fic!

**Scarlet Moon**

By _Ninetails_

_Love_

_is really like that_

_I'm devoured by_

_Love_

_it's really like that_

_Blissful_

- translated chorus of "Masaya" by Bamboo

Chapter 7.a

Morning came, dark and ominous. The air was thick and damp, and no matter how Ken stood near the fire, he could not drive away the chill in his bones. Thoughts of the red cloak haunted him as he made his way to the shop.

_Why would Grandmother make me another red cloak, knowing that the first helped to attract the wolf? _He picked up his hammer and began to pound on a bar of lead, imagining that it was the wolf and not metal that he was striking. He has been at work for about an hour when a shadow darkened the door.

"I was wondering when you were going to show up again," Ken said as Ran sauntered into the shop and casually sat on a barrel, of all things.

The marquis smiled almost sheepishly, though his heart began to pound at the sight of him. Ken stood, sweaty and disheveled, with his hammer poised above a glowing sword. His long-sleeved shirt clung sensuously to every curve of his torso. There was no pretense with him, no cockiness. He was completely natural and completely unaware of how breathtaking he looked.

"You never knew about me," Ran said, wondering if he meant it as a joke or not; it had been a long time since he attempted at humor. He had wanted to see him, to reassure himself that he was real. So much of his life was dream and illusion, and Ken seemed the one solid thing he could hold on to. Yet the way he made him feel was anything but ordinary.

In his heart he had also feared that Ken's grandmother had told him everything she knew of him. From the way Ken had greeted him, though, and the way he was looking at him, it would seem that his secret was still safe.

"You know, my father told me that if you ever came back here again, I need to rush out and get him to avoid his further embarrassment form my unruly behavior," Ken said, invading his thoughts.

Thinking that his remark was only meant to gall him, he answered with a smirk, "I guess you'd better do that."

Ken shrugged. "No need, he's working here today."

A moment later, Ran heard a step behind him. "Is there anything I could do for you, stranger?" a voice rasped close behind him.

Ran dipped his head to Ken almost imperceptibly. _Well played._

He turned, donning his best air of authority. "Good day, good sir."

"Father, may I present Lord Ran. Lord Ran, my father, owner of this shop."

"A pleasure to meet you," Ran deadpanned, trying to instill a note of diplomacy in his tone. His decorum professor would turn over in his grave, provided he was in one.

"We are happy to help you in any way we can, milord," the older blacksmith replied with a skeptical look and a respectful bow.

"I came by to once again thank your son for the satisfactory job he did replacing my horse's shoe."

"I'm glad milord approves."

Ran took in the other man's unusually blank face and sharp eyes and realized that the older blacksmith was apprehensive about his son's manners. _How to set his mind at ease and get some time alone with his son? _he wondered. The solution came to him and he smiled unconsciously, surprising Ken and causing a red flush to suffuse his face.

"I would like to engage his services once again. With winter all but upon us, I would like to have all my horses' hooves checked. I want to make sure they're in excellent condition before it snows. I'm afraid this will be the last opportunity I will have to check on several of them until spring."

"Of course, your lordship," the older blacksmith answered. "I always assumed you had your own blacksmith for such things."

"I do, but he is busy with so many other things at the moment that horseshoes seem to be rather low on his list of priorities. Since Ken did such a splendid job with Shadow, I thought he could take care of all of them."

"How many horses are there?" Ken asked.

Ran turned and smirked at him. "Around a hundred last time I counted."

Ken's eyes grew large and round, and Ran had to bite his tongue to keep the uncharacteristic laughter from escaping at his comical expression.

"Well, in that case," his father interjected suddenly, "he had better get started."

An hour later, Ken was riding beside Ran in a cart, all his tools in the back and Shadow walking along behind. "That was too clever of you," he noted once they were out of earshot of anyone in the village.

"I thought so," Ran confessed with the haughtiness only a noble could pull off.

"So, are there really a hundred horses in need of new shoes?" Ken asked with a somewhat disbelieving glint in his brown eyes.

Ran was instantly mesmerized, and it was a struggle to overcome the temptation of doing what he had dreamt about last night. "Yes, actually. I just hadn't thought of having you take care of them until your father surprised me."

Ken laughed, and he drank in the sound until he felt nearly giddy.

"He's never been happy with my brash attitude, especially with you. But recently, he has been distracted."

"What's changed?"

Ken seemed to sober, and he regretted asking. "My cousin, Kase, returned from the crusade. He was trained as a blacksmith."

"So he could help around in the shop."

"He could, but his heart isn't in it; he hasn't been the same."

"Jerusalem broke his spirit?"

"Something did," Ken answered softly.

"I am sorry." Ran was surprised. He meant it, with all his heart.

"Me too." After a moment, Ken glanced at him and asked, "Did you ever go to the war?"

For a moment, Ran was back in his nightmare, blood dripping down his blade. He shook his head fiercely to clear his brooding thoughts. "In a manner of speaking," he said softly.

Ken looked at him with curiosity dancing in his brown eyes, but he didn't push and for that Ran was grateful. He jerked the reins, and the pony pulling the cart slowed its canter almost imperceptibly. He wanted to savor the time they had alone before they reached the castle and Ken went to work.

"How have you been?" he asked, glancing sideways at the humming boy beside him.

Ken reached up and touched something around his neck. Ran looked closer and thrilled upon seeing him touch the necklace he gave him. "I assume you heard, else you would not have shown up so quickly," he answered.

His reply both puzzled and alarmed Ran. "After the _Lorena _incident, I have been away the past few days before the full moon. I am afraid I have heard nothing since."

Ken sat still, his mind going back to the time when he and his father heard about the fateful sinking of the ship that could have carried his brother. His heart ached for lost hope. All in the past now.

"The night before last a wolf killed Simon, the man I was fighting with that first day we met in the shop. I found his body in the woods and then a wolf attacked me."

Ran jerked, feeling agony like he'd never felt before, and pulled the pony to a halt. "Are you hurt?" he asked, panic overcoming his carefully built calm.

"I'm all right," Ken reassured him. "The wolf tore my sleeve and scratched my arm. Then he ran off."

_I did that, and I couldn't even remember it! _he thought, dismayed. _The sleeve I found was his, and thank God I didn't harm him._

Ran balled his hands into fists in an effort to stop their shaking. "I could never live with myself if something ever happens to you," he whispered.

Ken sat staring at him, wondering why he was shaking so violently. "What's wrong?" he asked, almost dreading the answer. Ran's violet eyes were putting him at unease.

"Everything," Ran whispered. He turned, his amethyst eyes boring into his soul. "The last time we met, you said that only the ignorant believe in witches. I disagreed with you."

"I remember," Ken answered, heart beginning to pound.

The forest became still, devoid of any activity or sound. Even the trees seemed to draw in nearer to them, as if to hear the man's every word.

"I know that there are witches, because my family was cursed by one."

It was Ken's turn to start shaking. Something cold and hard like iron settled into the pit of his stomach, and he began to sweat in spite of the cold autumn wind whispering chilly words into his ears.

"During the first crusade, one of my ancestors killed a peasant farmer and his wife. Before she died, the woman put a curse on every male member of my family."

Ran stopped speaking and looked at him as though gauging his reaction. Ken didn't know how he wanted him to respond, or how he should respond, so he sat, quiet and waiting. _Everything has an answer, if you wait long enough for the answer. _His grandmother's voice echoed in his ears.

"I've never told anyone this," he whispered, and his words tugged at Ken's heart.

Ken reached out and touched his hand encouragingly, not knowing what else to do.

"I don't know how to say this," he continued, his deep voice filled with deeper anguish.

"You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

"Yes, yes I do."

He shook his head, and Ken watched the struggle in his eyes helplessly, his heart breaking for him.

Suddenly, Ran reached a hand inside his vest and pulled out a wadded-up piece of fabric. He handed it to Ken without a word. Puzzled, he took it. When he unfolded it, he recognized it as his sleeve.

"This is the sleeve the wolf took from me. How did you get it?"

"I was the wolf."

The silence was deafening, as if every woodland creature listened with bated breath. The wind swept icy tendrils up Ken's spine as its whispers drew horror from within him.

"What?"

"I am the wolf who attacked you."

Terror filled him in an instant, pushing away everything else. _He is mad, completely insane! _He wanted to leap from the cart and run back home, away from him. _Father was right about Ran all along; he's dangerous and he could hurt me. _Another, more horrible thought occurred to him. _What if he is telling the truth?_

Out loud he stammered, "How… how is that possible?"

"The curse placed on all the men in my family is that we turn into wolves for three nights surrounding the full moon as well as the two days between."

Ken continued to stare at the bit of sleeve in his fist. With his other hand, he rubbed his arm where he could still feel the scratch from the wolf's tooth.

"You?" he whispered brokenly.

"Yes," Ran answered, crystal tears streaming down his face. "Can you _ever _forgive me?"

And then it hit him, why his eyes looked so familiar. They were the eyes of the wolf that had attacked him the day before, the eyes of the wolf that had attacked him nine years before.

Fear and anger coursed through him, and his voice shook as he spoke. "Forgive you? For how much?"

In a flash Ken reached forward and ripped apart Ran's shirt before he could stop him. There, upon his pale chest, was a jagged white scar. His heart began to pound harder, and he thought for a moment he might faint. "How did you get that?" he hissed.

Ran shook his head. "I don't know. When I was young, I woke up after I had been a wolf, and I had been stabbed with something, I don't know what."

"I know what," Ken cried, snatching the dagger from his belt. "It was this – my brother's knife. He stabbed you to save my life."

"Your life?" Ran asked, sounding dazed.

"Yes, when you tried to kill me," Ken explained, yanking the legs of his trousers up above his knees to show him the scars crisscrossing his legs and the bits of flesh that had been torn out, never to fully heal.

Ran whimpered and reached to trace a long, jagged scar that ran the length of his tanned calf.

"I didn't know," he almost wailed in despair. "I am so sorry."

"For nine years I've carried these scars and fear has plagued my every step, and all because of you," Ken spat at the shuddering form.

Ran buried his head in his hands, and the cries that came from him sounded like those of an animal. Ken sat still, staring at him; hatred, anger, love, and pity running through him all at once. Everything but fear.

For once the fear was gone.

He didn't know how long they sat that way. He couldn't even begin to sort out his own emotions, let alone care about Ran's. For a month his world had been in chaos, and now, once again, everything had changed, but in a way for which he never could have prepared himself. The one thing he kept coming back to, though, was the absence of his fear.

"Every day since then I've lived with fear," he said finally. "Never knowing where the wolf was or when he might strike has haunted me. Now, strange as it is, I know where the wolf is and when he could strike. I feel free for the first time in nine years."

Ran laughed, a strange, strangled sound. "When I was young, I would wake up and never remember anything about what had happened – what I'd done. As I grew older I learned to remember, and then, by the time I was thirteen, I could control my actions while in wolf form. What scares me is that this morning I woke up with no memories, and apparently I did horrible things."

"Maybe you didn't kill the tanner," Ken said, voice shaking, wishing he believed it himself.

"If not I, then who?" Ran asked, his voice suddenly fierce. Ken jerked back, frightened.

"I – I don't know," Ken stammered. "Maybe another wolf – ."

"There are no _other _wolves," Ran snarled. "The last natural wolves left several years ago. A different pack controls these lands," he added bitterly, "though I'm more a lone wolf with my father gone too often to the Holy Land."

Ken didn't know what to do. He desperately wanted to ease the pain in his amethyst eyes and yet, to his shame, there was a part of him that cried out for his blood. It was this part of him that kept the dagger, its blade naked, in his hand.

He tried to swallow, but his mouth was dry. His heart had begun to pound again as a war raged within him. He stared down at the knife and his white-knuckled fingers gripping it. _I could plunge this dagger into his heart before he could stop me. I could kill the wolf that took so much from me. _Tears began to stream from his eyes. _I could kill him before he tries to kill me again._

He didn't realize how hard he was shaking until Ran reached out and placed his hand on his, wrapping his fingers around so that he, too, was holding the knife.

"I wouldn't blame you if you did," he whispered, soft lips brushing Ken's ear. "I think part of me would thank you."

Ken sat stunned, staring at their fingers intertwined around the blade. _Has fate brought us to this? _he wondered. _Is this what was meant to happen between us? Our lives have been entwined for years, though we did not know. He has been the shadow haunting my steps all along. As the noonday sun kills the shadow, am I the light to destroy his darkness?_

He gripped the dagger even tighter, his nails digging into his palm until he could feel the blood begin to flow. _Twice now I have been in the wolf's jaws and I have escaped. A third time will surely kill me. Should I risk it all? For what? This tortured man hasn't offered me anything in return but a kiss stolen in the forest. Grandmother was right – I should not have followed this man into the woods. _His tears fell onto their clasped hands. _But I did not follow him; he was the one who followed me._

Ken turned to look at him and found that he was crying as well. Ran kissed him then, tears mingling on their lips. He wrapped his arms around him, pulling his trembling figure close and trapping the dagger between their bodies. Ken could feel the edge cutting him, but he didn't care.

He kissed the taller man with everything he had, every drop of love and anger and pain, and he kissed him back in kind. It lasted for a long while, their almost mad joining of lips tempering down into a leisurely exploration of each other's mouths. Ken felt intoxicated with the man's taste, of fire and ice, ready to burn him and devour him whole. He slowly withdrew, keeping his lips pressed against Ken's, every word brushing against his lips and sending pleasurable tingles running up his spine.

"I need you," Ran whispered against his lips. "You are the light to my shadow, the sun to my moon, the innocence to my guilt. Without you, I am lost. If you will not stay with me, then use that knife, because I am already dead."

"I have died a little every day since we met, but now we shall both live… and learn what it is to love," Ken answered with a hot blush suffusing his very being.

He could feel the blade cutting deeper into his hand as Ran crushed him tighter, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was that Ran loved him and wanted him, and that his lips upon his were proving it more with each moment that passed between them.

"All my life I have looked for you," Ran whispered against his lips.

"And all my life I have run, certain that I would lose myself if you ever caught me."

"Are you lost?" Violet eyes sought for brown, a connection of souls was established in the deep look that followed.

"I am found," Ken answered with what was in his heart, his soul.

"What if I devour you?" Ran asked at last, pressing ever closer to his warmth.

Ken pulled back slightly and touched one of the other man's eyeteeth with his fingertip. "I hope that you do," he breathed as waves of passion threatened to overcome him.

Ran glanced down and noted with a frown, "You're bleeding."

Ken looked down as well, noticing detachedly the slice in his vest and the blood staining his clothes. He pulled his hand away from Ran's warm ones and let the knife clatter to the floor of the cart. He reached forward to touch his white shirt, which was also ripped. "You are as well."

"So I am," he answered, violet eyes intent on brown. "Our blood flows together, Ken. Even so, you and I are linked, our spirits entwined, our hearts beating in kind."

"Wherever you go, so shall I go."

Ran gripped his hands, which were covered in their blood, in his and kissed them.

"What do we do now?" Ken asked him then.

"I don't know. I do know, though, that I need your help taming the wolf."

"I'll do what I can," he vowed.

Ran kissed him again, lips upon lips, burning with hunger, demanding to be fed. In a moment, Ken knew he would be lost, and he would give him everything. He forced himself to break away, though it hurt him more than anything he had ever done.

"Ran, I can't – "

"I know," he gasped, trying hard to rein in his control "I am sorry."

"Don't be, for I am not, but we must venture no further along this particular path."

"Not until I make you truly mine."

Ken sat, stunned by the possessiveness evident in Ran's dulcet voice. _Mine. What does he wish to do? We cannot marry, but to be his, I would give up everything. _He gazed into his purple eyes with his heart shining in his eyes.

"What will people say?" he whispered at last.

"They'll say that I'm the luckiest creature that ever walked this earth, on two feet or four."

Ken laughed, tasting the salt on his lips as he did so. "Whatever shall I do with you?" he burst out, unable to contain his utter joy and bewilderment.

"You shall live with me, as soon as it can be arranged."

He nodded slowly. "We shall, of course, have to tell father about this."

Ran laughed, the sound sending sparks of joy into Ken's overridden senses. "Do you think that he shall deny me as a consort to his son?"

"Perhaps… maybe he should," Ken answered with a mischievous smile. Deep inside, he hoped that his father would understand the true feelings between them, and approve.

"Well, then I must strike fast before anyone can warn him. Perhaps while you are tending to the horses?"

Ken cuffed him lightly on the arm. "All your talk about living together and you'll still have me shoe your horses?"

"You and no other. When we are aged and stooped, I still want to see you, in those ridiculous shirts of yours, putting shoes on all our horses."

"And what is wrong with my shirts?" Ken demanded, shivering at the intense gaze Ran was giving the said clothing.

"They only serve to impede my view of your astonishing chest," Ran answered with a wicked grin.

He slammed his fist into his chest in mock fury, well aware of the blush tinting his features. Ran caught his hand and pulled it up around his neck. He felt his heart melt at the adorable sight that his now lover presented. His smile slowly faded. "I am sorry, Ken; my attempt at humor keeps me from doing to you what I most wish, and which would break your trust."

"I know," he said, the blood burning within his veins. "I feel the same way."

Ran picked up the reins and turned slowly in his seat. "In that case, we had best be on our way."

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TBC 

Author's Notes:

Whee! I read about a blacksmith at work (Perrin Aybara) in a _Wheel of Time _book. I wanted to put as much detail into the smithy work, but as of now, I am still ignorant (and I have this feeling that I'll stay that way for a _long _time) about their work so forgive me if all I wrote about was Ken's sweaty body… err, I mean, ah, why do I even bother?

What are eyeteeth? If some of you don't know, they're your regular canines, used (by wolves and humans alike) to tear food before the bicuspids and molars chew them thoroughly. Whee!

Has anyone noticed that I've been exceedingly mushy in this? I mean, Ran of all people, spouting drivel! Oh my! Of course, if it was to win a cutie like Ken, I'd spout the worst drivel in the world too, but I guess I was beaten to it. Nyahahahaha! Don't be deceived by this chapter though, for every happiness, there is an equal and opposite emotion. Eww, Physics.

I just got my classcards and I'm very surprised to find out that I got quite a high grade in Philosophy of Man. Someone pinch me now. No, I take that back! I'm quite (okay, I'm _very_) happy with my scores except for Phys Ed. It's volleyball. Give me badminton or baseball any day, but not volleyball. Oh, and we have a new Pope! Whee! He's 78 though. Oh well. I'm happy now. (n.n) Oh, and the song lyrics way on top are just there since I felt like it. Not the best translation (since "Masaya" is loosely translated as _happy_) and even though it looks like a very happy song, it's not. Quite angsty, in fact. I love it.

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Replies to Reviews (Chapter 6): 

**HeatherR** Ken… fetch… lover… Nyahahaha! That is TOO funny! Shows how Ran is totally in love with Ken, ne, when he consents to play fetch with him. (starts snickering again) 'Nyways, I somewhat heeded your advice (seeing the logic in it), but I think the intertwining of the plot will be seen in part two. Um, oops? Yeah, it's fun to have a few more characters, but I'm still frantically wracking my mind 'bout what to do with Youji (ugh, what is the true English spelling of his name?). Err, I'm quite embarrassed to say though that the reason why I write AU's is because I've forgotten the Weiss storyline already! The last time I watched it was circa 2000 so… Gomen, total tangent there, ne? Oh, hope you're not too horrified with the mush-fest of this chapter. Thanks for being the first reviewer of chapter 6! Here's a cookie!

**Sachiko V** Wow, you actually read my notes! I got a complaint from one of my reviewers in my other fic about the total length of my AN's so I'm quite relieved to know that someone appreciates my rants/ravings. … Eek, the boyfriend issue again! Thanks SO much for saying that; I haven't really met anyone who totally jives with my total unpredictability (plus it's hard to find a guy who could tolerate my love for yaoi), but the mere fact that most girls my age have bf's, well, it says something about me, ne? Eek, self-esteem issues, duck! Oh, the homosexuality bit will be dealt with in a few chapters' time. I hope I handled it acceptably. I swear, I'm going easy on them, it's totally unreal (you'll see what I mean in chapter 8). Aww, thanks for liking my fic SO much! I love AUs too. Ran is quite a hard character to portray and I'm glad you people approve of the way I write him. Kenken is MINE! Oops, I mean, Kenken is a cute character to write about, although I think he's a bit OOC here. Hmmm… Manx? She _is _a mystery, in the series and in my story. Wai! Thanks SO much for liking the YXO chappie! My friend coerced me to do it ('cause originally, Youji is supposed to never return or something) and I hope to insert them again somewhere. I love the interaction between the cousins too. Thanks for the long review! You know what? I think we review almost the same way! (not going into details) Here's a cookie, enjoy!

**Ru-chan** Aww… thanks! Wait… You liked it? … (starts to hyperventilate before spontaneously combusting) Wai! You really liked it? Thanks SO much! Nyahaha, 'tis ok, as long as you like my chapters. You're writing exams? (eek, I have a sneaking suspicion that you're a prof or something... 0.0 ) Wai! Ran is the cutest thing ever when he smirks! When he glares too! Gah, he's cute no matter what he does! But Ken is MINE! Err, gomen. Thanks so much for the review! Hope you like a cookie!

**RosefaerietaleRed** Nyahaha! Nothing gets by you, ne? I really can't write about Schwartz since I hardly saw them when I was watching the series. Omi is such a sweet cousin and I'll try to insert him more in the story. As for Youji, well, he still has amnesia. Not much progress… yet. Thanks SO much for the review and I am now giving you a cookie since I'm broke from the last blueberry cheesecake rampage. (n.n)

And now if you would excuse me, I'm off to feed my Neopet.


	8. Part 7b

Standard disclaimers apply. (2 lazy)

Warnings: I really am having trouble with this fic. Oh well. Oh, my beta said she was grinning her mouth off while reading this (the whole chapter, that is). Wonder why. Maybe it was all my references to "The Wheel of Time" series? (shrugs)

**ADVANCED APOLOGY**: GOMEN MINNA! I WON'T BE ABLE TO UPDATE FOR A WHILE. I JUST CAME BACK FROM A MEETING AND FOUND OUT THAT SK OFFICIALS OF OUR CITY (I'M OBVIOUSLY ONE) ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND A 5-DAY SEMINAR IN A FARAWAY PLACE (BAGUIO). THAT'S IT. SEE Y'ALL NEXT WEEK! Oh, it's a full moon tonight. Nice! (starts to daydream)

Oh my gaaah! They're petitioning for the novel of "Only the Ring Finger Knows" to be distributed in America (henceforth I could finally appreciate it 'cause it'll be translated into English!) and I am SO happy! People (who can actually relate to my current rabidity), go to yaoi(dash)manga(dot)com and sign up NOW! They currently have around 2000 petitions and I'm not sure what their target number is but sign up anyway. Wai! (incoherent rambles) That manga is such a cute, angsty, romantic (and did I mention angsty?) tale but there are many scenes that are inconveniently cut so the novel would really help the fan(girls) to understand why Kazuki did what he did to Wataru. I am SO ecstatic right now 'cause they have loads of soon to be released yaoi manga titles! Wait… oh my poor (semi-nonexistent) savings! But I can't help it; I want them ALL! (bawls)

Oh, and I took the yaoi test there and I was the "Jane" yaoi girl! It's SO true that it's almost freaky! I'm a closet yaoi fanatic! Whee! Um, on to the fic.

**Scarlet Moon **

By _Ninetails_

Chapter 7.b

They rode the rest of the way in silence. Ken's mind raced almost as fast as his heart. It was madness to think that this could end happily, with him as lover to an earl. His thoughts foretold some grave danger ahead of them, even as his heart sang within his chest.

When the castle loomed ahead of them, he held his breath, a hundred emotions colliding inside him to further his consternation. His mouth gaped in wonder at the castle's sheer size. Within its shadow, stone walls loomed high above him, and he tilted his head back to gaze up at them. Around him, servants scurried to take charge of the wagon and the horses.

Ran lithely jumped down the wagon, and for a moment Ken stared at him, surrounded by his subjects and the trappings of his title. He quaked inside. _Who am I to aspire this?_

"Do you really have a hundred horses for me to look at?" he asked, nervously turning his focus to work.

"Probably more," Ran answered, gesturing for him to get down from the wagon seat.

He complied, getting down from the wagon with Ran's arms mysteriously around his waist. He suddenly felt self-conscious dressed in his work trousers and plain shirt as the eyes of all turned upon him.

With a small grin, Ran raised his hand, and everyone stopped and stared openly. "This is my guest, Ken. He is a blacksmith and will be here to look over the horses. Everyone please extend to him whatever help he requires."

Everyone bowed or curtsied as Ken felt his cheeks grow hot. "Ran," he murmured for his ears alone. "Was that necessary?"

"Entirely," he whispered back with a smirk.

Ken forced himself to smile at everyone, though inside he wanted to turn and run back to the village and his father's shop. _I don't belong here._

A man his father's age bustled up to them. He bowed low to Ken, and he, again at a loss to how to present himself, only nodded in return. "I am Lan," he announced, "and I have the charge of the horses."

"Lan will help you with your work," Ran said. "He is a good man and has the best eye for horses I've ever seen. There isn't an animal here he doesn't know well."

"Good, then you can tell me which ones kick," Ken said, glad to be talking business.

Lan chuckled. "I'll do more than that; I'll hold them for you."

"I'll leave you two to your work. Make sure he finds his way to the Hall for supper, Lan," Ran instructed.

Lan bowed again and Ken just nodded his head again, feeling like an idiot. Ran turned and strode off, and he heaved a sigh of relief.

_Amazing how a mutual declaration of love can cause so much excitement followed by so much awkwardness, _he thought.

He pulled a heavy case from the back of the wagon and turned to Lan. "Lead the way," he said, falling into step beside him. "Lord Ran said something about a hundred horses."

Lan snorted. "One hundred forty-four," he answered.

Ken stared. "This is going to take a couple of days."

He nodded with a small smile. "Quite young for a blacksmith, eh?"

Ken nodded, wondering what age a blacksmith should be. "Yes. Someone had to help out when my brother left for the crusade."

Lan nodded once again. "Figured as much, though it's a shame such a handsome young fellow has to work in the dark and heat."

"I manage," Ken answered shortly.

"I meant it as a compliment, so that you don't mistake me," he said, glancing at the youth sideways. "I don't doubt your ability to do it."

"Thank you," Ken answered, pleasantly surprised. It was nice to have someone believe he could do the job without him having to prove it or without the prejudice of who he was related to.

"We'll start in the barn. We can get twenty done in there. After that we'll have to catch them."

Ken suppressed a groan. "A long few days," he muttered to himself.

* * *

Despite his misgivings, the first twenty were done quickly. Lan had enlisted the aid of several young boys to hold horses and to begin rounding up the ones that were out on the fields. 

Ken was a bit startled, and none too embarrassed, to find a young lady minding some of the horses in the spacious stable. To add to his surprise, he found out that Yuriko was actually Lan's youngest daughter. She was friendly and very pretty, and they hit it off instantly with talk about the horses.

They had made a good start before it was time for supper. He would have continued to work, but true to his word, Lan saw to it that he made his way to the Great Hall. He said his polite good-byes to the people in the wide yard and to Yuriko, before he steeled himself for whatever was to come.

Ken walked in, sweaty and disheveled, and needed no more reason to feel completely out of place. When he realized that there were nobles other than Ran present, he thought about running. Fast. Possibly in the other direction.

_Or fainting. Fainting would work. No one could fault me for fainting of exhaustion, _he frantically thought as Ran came toward him.

"Glad you could join us," he whispered for his ears only.

"Ran, I shouldn't be here," he hissed.

The taller man looked him up and down slowly, and Ken flushed at the possessiveness of his gaze.

"Mind your eyes. I do not belong to you," he said, irritated.

"Not yet," he remarked with a sly wink.

Ken stood, anger ripping through him, and did not know how to answer him. He balled his hands into fists at his side and wished he could hit his smirking face.

Ran laughed softly, baring his teeth.

"I hope you are enjoying my discomfort."

"Actually, not as much as you think."

The taller man then turned and nodded at a matronly woman who scurried forward. "Please help this good lad to change for supper, as quickly as possible."

The woman curtsied and beckoned Ken to follow her. With a last look at Ran, Ken turned and went with her.

The woman led him up a winding staircase into the family's living quarters. They proceeded down a long narrow hallway until they entered a room that was the largest Ken had ever seen, enough to house the whole of his father's shack.

A small army of servant women waited inside with a tub of drawn water, soap, combs and brushes. A princely outfit was laid out upon the bed.

Ken protested as they laid hands upon him, but they only fell on deaf ears. They stripped off his clothes, to his utter mortification, with him fighting them all the way. "I have dressed myself since I was three!" he protested vehemently, albeit a little resignedly. These women were starting to scare him.

They said not a word, but dragged him and all but threw him in the tub. The water turned dark with dirt and soot. With a sigh he submitted to their ministrations. He was soaped and ducked beneath the water twice. Then they hauled him out unceremoniously and began to dry his hair and body vigorously with two towels. Before he could even blink, they had him in the trousers and shirt, the outer vest tight on his chest.

He looked down at himself, running a hand down the dark green velvet of his coat. He felt hot, the thick material serving to encase his body heat in its confines. His trousers were made of the finest leather gold could buy, the material feeling soft on his skin and molding to every curve of his legs. His inner shirt was made of cream silk, accentuating his well-formed chest.

Then, scarcely more than a quarter of an hour after entering the room, he was ready to leave. He hesitantly made his way downstairs, feeling awkward in the regal clothes, which were not only more restrictive, but also much finer than any he had ever owned. _Is this to be my life? _he wondered in despair, praying not to trip with the unfamiliar boots restricting his every step.

Ran stared unabashedly as he entered the hall. He winced slightly as he smiled at the lord. "Well, what do you think?" he asked as he stood before Ran.

He smiled, filling Ken with an insurmountable amount of joy. "Breathtaking. But, truth be told, I think I prefer you in the other."

"That makes two of us," Ken said, relieved.

"If you prefer to be in an attire where there are as few layers of clothing as possible, that is," Ran continued with a smirk, eyeing him up and down.

Ken blushed which only caused Ran's smirk to widen. He then bowed to him and led the way to the table and gave him a seat of honor on his right side.

For Ken the dinner was half dream, half nightmare. There was exotic food the likes of which he had never seen. Barons spoke to him of the latest court mishaps, mistaking him for a nobleman. Then there was the discomfort of his attire and his own growing unease at being in the place. _I don't belong here and I want to go home. _He forced himself to eat, but the food, delicious as it was, held little interest to him. His mind was full. Just a few hours before, Ran had told him a great secret and they had shared something beautiful and frightening. Now that man was gone, and in his place was Lord Ran, Earl of Fujimiya, who was bandying words with men who would never deign to speak with him if they knew he was not noble born. If Ran noticed his misery, he gave no sign.

The seat at his right was suddenly occupied by a young man with blue eyes and a bright smile. Ken was startled out of his dark thoughts upon the abrupt arrival of the newcomer, and he eyed him warily. Another spoiled noble brat, perhaps?

He was surprised when the young lad aimed a wide smile at Ran. Ken turned to his left in time to see Ran answer the smile in kind and utter a "Good evening, cousin."

Ken sat stunned. Cousin? He knew that Ran had a sister somewhere, but a cousin?

He implored Ran with his eyes for an explanation. Ran gave him an unreadable look. "Ken, this young lad is my cousin, Omi Tsukiyono. Omi, meet Ken," he answered abruptly.

Ken turned to his right and received a wide smile. He felt his lips twitch at the jovial look on the youth's face. Omi gave a half-bow and re-introduced himself. "Good evening, milord. I am honored to meet you."

Ken stammered out a reply, feeling ill at ease with the young nobleman. Ran interrupted their makeshift conversation. "How fares your ward, Omi?"

Ken heard a sigh from Omi's direction, and he noted that the sound didn't suit him. "He is alright, far as I know. He sometimes wakes up in time for us to feed and clean him, but other than that, he is still too weak to do otherwise."

"And his memory?"

Ken felt a pang of pity at the sudden pain in the youth's countenance. "He still can't remember."

Silence reigned over the three of them, in spite of the constant hum of conversation over the dining table. Finally, Omi heaved a final sigh and engaged Ken in an interesting banter concerning metallurgy and obscure theories the boy had read in some Alchemy books.

Finally getting back his appetite with his new friend's amusing quips, Ken finished his meal in no time. There were no protocols between them, no need for false guises. Here was one soul he could relate to in the impossible confines of decorum. Sadly, Omi had to retire early for duties he had to do. Wishing not to prod too much, Ken let him go with a promise that they would meet again.

His good mood once again evaporated when the other nobles swooped down upon his unoccupied person.

When the meal was done, the others left one by one until he and Ran were alone.

"Did you survive"? he asked, suddenly enough to startle Ken.

"I'm not sure," he admitted.

Ran nodded, as though he were not surprised.

He rose from the table and Ken did the same. "I want to show you something," he said at last.

"What?"

Ran placed his hand gently on his shoulder and turned him around. There, lining one wall of the hall, were the portraits of Ran's ancestors.

Ken moved closer to them, Ran beside him.

He went down the length of the hall from the first to the last. When he was done, he walked back slowly toward the beginning and stopped at last in front of one portrait in particular. He tilted his head as he studied it and felt a chill dance up his spine.

"It was he who brought this curse down upon us," Ran said. "Somehow I thought you would be able to tell."

"I can," he whispered.

"It shows, doesn't it?"

"It's the eyes."

_The eyes indeed. I knew he would see what I see_, Ran thought. He stood for a moment just watching him. _He is so enchanting, so breathtaking. _He stared at his lips, which were pursed invitingly. The memory of kissing them was nearly overpowering. He took a step forward before he stopped himself. It wouldn't be wise to kiss him in public until their relationship was announced.

To that end, he needed to speak with Ken's father. _For once I'm grateful for the title_, he thought. Else what would I say to the man – that I want to offer his son a dangerous and unconventional life with a cursed man?

"And Omi?"

Ran was startled out of his brooding. _What about Omi? Oh. _"He is outside of the curse, we are related, but not by fathers. His and my mother were sisters."

_Were? _Ken didn't press on. He knew the story of the Lord's deceased wife. He heard from the village women that she was a good woman. Pretty and kind of heart. He mourned for Ran's loss.

Ran shook his head. "We should get you home," he said, heart heavy with regret.

"I need my clothes back," he answered.

"I'm sorry, but we burned them," Ran said. He laughed out loud at the expression of horror that crossed Ken's face. "No," he said at last, "I haven't had them burned. They should be clean by now."

"I'll be right back," he promised as he turned and headed for the stairs.

Ran closed his eyes and pressed his fingers to his temples. _What have I done? What manner of life have I offered him? Death and pain are all the future holds for me, and it is selfish of me to make him share that. _

He opened his eyes and stared in anger at his namesake. Many a time he had wanted to rip the portrait from the wall and throw it into the fire, but never so much as he did now.

Within minutes Ken returned, looking far more comfortable, and Ran forced himself to smile. Together, they hurried outside to find the wagon waiting.

"Shall I take our esteemed guest home, milord?" Lan asked.

"No, I shall go with him," Ran said, forcing himself to answer.

The ride was long and torturous. He didn't know what to say to Ken, and he seemed to be experiencing the same problem. He started to speak a half-dozen times only to have the words die on his lips. The horse trotted along, his hoof-falls and the creaking of the wagon the only sounds in the too-still night.

At last they reached the village. "You can drop me off at the shop," Ken said finally.

"No, I'll take you home," Ran insisted.

They rolled through the village and Ken pointed out his home. _How different it is from mine! _Ran thought.

He climbed down from the wagon. By the time he reached the other side, Ken was already on the ground. He slowly lowered the hand that he had extended to help him down.

"Thank you," he said.

"For what? Ran answered, feeling moody and frustrated.

"I don't know."

Ran shook his head grimly. "At least that's honest.'

Ken studied the ground for a moment. "There is more work to be done. I will be ready an hour after sunrise."

"I will pick you up then," Ran said. "Good night."

"And to you," Ken replied resignedly.

He turned without another word and entered his house. Ran stood for a moment, wondering what was wrong with him. He should have taken Ken in his arms and kissed him senseless. He hadn't, though. All he had managed to conjure up was a weak farewell, no more than he would have given a stranger.

He climbed back into the wagon and turned it around. "I am a fool," he told the horse. "I want him and yet I shouldn't have him. I have him and I don't do anything. I should have at least kissed him. More the fool I am for that."

The horse whinnied shortly and picked up his pace. Ran leaned back, feeling wearier than he had in a long time.

Halfway home his booted foot kicked something. He bent down to retrieve it and saw that it was Ken's knife, still covered in scarlet liquid. _Our blood. _He picked it up and reverently tucked it into his belt. He would return it to Ken in the morning.

* * *

"How did everything go?" his father asked quietly as Ken entered the house. 

"Well," he answered, giving him a strained smile. He glanced over to the bed used by Kase. He was asleep, snoring gently, and he wondered how late it was.

"How many horses?"

"One hundred forty-four."

His father whistled low. "I can close the shop tomorrow if you need my help."

Ken was about to tell him that wasn't necessary, but he stopped himself, remembering the nightmarish dinner experience and the silent drive back home. He didn't know if he trusted himself to be alone with Ran, not just yet. Either he was carried away with passion or he was frozen with fear.

He nodded slowly. "I would appreciate that."

"Done," Reiji answered.

Ken changed for bed and then lay down with a bone-weary sigh.

"Everything else all right?" his father grunted.

Ken didn't have an answer to that. "Everything else is fine."

Slowly he rolled onto his side and tried to push thoughts of Ran from his mind. It wasn't easy, though. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw his beautiful face, lit with the fires of love as his violet eyes bored into his. He could feel his soft lips on his and the warmth from his body as he leaned close.

_What am I going to do? Am I bound to the words I spoke in a moment of passion? _He wasn't even sure if he loved him. _Attracted to him, yes. Afraid of him, yes. In love with him? I don't know. And what if I am – what does that mean? Can the two of us have a future that brings anything but pain?_

He rolled onto his back again and glanced toward his father. He was still sitting up, staring into the fire. He looked lost in thought. For a moment he wanted to call out to him, to ask him what he should do.

_It was easier when I was a child. There was only right and wrong, and there was no problem Father couldn't fix with a nod or a wave of his hand. That was before the wolf attacked, before Youji left. _

He flipped onto his side. _Maybe Grandmother can help me. Maybe she'll have some advice that I can use. _Ken shuddered. _She'll tell me that men are a nuisance, even to other men. Then she'll continue on in one of her rants about the value of true love in a world wrought by so much hate. I need to ask her, though, what made Grandfather different. How did she know she was in love, how did she know she was right? How something so right could be viewed as something so wrong in the laws of the Creator._

He flopped onto his stomach, the air rushing out of his lungs with a _whoosh. Maybe the morning will make everything clear, shed a little light into these dark places in my mind._

He settled himself more comfortably in the confines of the covers, willing himself to let go of his thoughts.

TBC

* * *

Author's Notes: 

As you might've noted, I had a bit of trouble with their outfits in this era. I resolved to use the costumes of the people in the _Wheel of Time _series (excluding the pink frilly outfits Tylin insisted on clothing Mat in, nyahaha!)

Someday, I would write the angstiest fanfic that would even make me cry! (stands poised with fist raised, which twitched spasmodically a few times) Nyahahaha! Angst makes the world go round! … or stops its rotation. My view is quite subjective, ne? (smiles sheepishly)

At last, after the shortest chapter ever, here comes the longest chapter ever… I hope. (bawls) That's why i decided to cut it to two parts. My fingers hurt, and I feel my first ever migraine coming. (shuts herself off in her room)

Oh yeah, I just bought volume 2 of the yaoi manga "Passion." When I was reading it, I was like "Oh god, this is so pathetic!" but when I came to the middle part I was like "Oooh, angst! Whee!" I wanna collect all the BL mangas out there… but why do they have to be so darned expensive! (bawls)

* * *

Replies to Reviews (Chapter 7.a): 

**Chitoshiya no Tohma** (stares at CnT for a long time) … Uh… Oh my gaaah! What have you done to the _real _Chitoshiya no Tohma! (runs away screaming) Ehehehe, excuse my theatrics. Wow, I really AM proud of you! You were actually able to stomach a chapter chock-full of _him_! (stares again) Demo, did you hit your head or something? 'Nyways, thanks for thinking that it was well-written. It was a fun chapter to write (I think I can see you cringe) and I wanna write about them again but no ideas are coming to me. Oh well. Thanks for the review! Um, just another cookie for today. No money. (n.n)

**HeatherR** Wai? I have a sneaking suspicion that you're starting to sound like me. (0.0) So sorry 'bout the language. I was writing (okay, okay, _typing_) the first thing (dialogue) that comes to mind and when I read it again I was like "AUGH! I WROTE THAT?" but was too lazy to beautify it (or keep them in character). Whee! I really don't like the mush I write, but since you liked it… (runs around doing "The Baka Dance" until she… hits a wall) Waaah! I'm having trouble ever since chapter 6! Waaah! I need help! Mentally. All my notes are scattered in the whole vicinity and I'll be darned if anyone sees/reads them! Waaah! Maybe that's why I'm having trouble – organization or lack of it. (I now have a sneaking suspicion that what I'm talking about is completely off-topic) Now, did I make this part angsty or what? I am such a lousy writer. (bawls) Whee! Thanks SO much for the review! Have a cookie!

**RosefaerietaleRed** Nyehehe, thanks, I was really worried that I drove all of you away with the excessive mush-fest. Gah. I think more mush is due on chapter 8. (cringes) Thanks for overlooking blatant manifestations of Ran's OOCness. I should be thrown into a pond or something. Waaah! Thanks SO much for the review and have a cookie. (n.n)

**Ru-chan** (blinks) You are? (blushes) Oh, ehehehe, gomen, didn't mean to insult you or anything. 'Nyways, really? I was all for ending it with Ken stabbing Ran or something but I remembered that I abhor death fics so... I settled for quasi-angst instead. (sweatdrops) ... (blinks) You are a _very_ astute individual, aren't you? (shudders) You have the plot all figured out! Whee! Now I have an excuse not to finish this terribly long, dragging ficcie! (dances around 'till she hits... the door) Nyehehe, I hope that the two figures it out 'coz I certainly don't... Big Bad Wolf? (... nosebleed) Gah, away bad thoughts! Thanks for the review and hope you like a cookie!

I better console myself by listening to "_Wind_" (Naruto's 1st ending song) It's a very cute song and I am totally in love with it. Ja!


	9. Part 8

Disclaimer: Blah, blah, fish sticks. Err, I mean, standard disclaimers apply.

Warnings: Oh dear, the dreaded meeting with the parent! Waaah! I'm really having trouble with the issue of homosexuality in the period of the Crusades! As far as I'm concerned, in an era where the fight for the Holy Land was rampant among the people, homosexuality is taboo. It may not be unheard of, but I'm sure that it will be severely frowned upon. In this fic, I am going to tone down the reactions of people in the homophobic era since I don't want our bishies to be subjected to religious stigma and all that crap (besides, it'll be a lot more work for me if I develop that particular plot), so forgive the totally inept scenario.

I have already succeeded in one of my goals in life! I have downloaded the manga "Boys Next Door" and it's so freakishly angsty and disturbing! I love it! Does anyone know the manga "Midare Somenishi?" (Anxiety of Soul) It's a samurai manga done by the mangaka of "Kizuna," Kazuma Kodoka. It's smutty as hell, but a very nice story. Whee!

**Scarlet Moon **

By _Ninetails_

_I've seen nights of craziness_

_And I have seen nights that last_

_I've seen passionate lips_

_And the overflow of the senses_

_But I've never seen someone like you_

_But I've never seen someone like you_

part of the song "Alguien Como Tu" by Enrique Iglesias. (I had nothing to do in our 14-hour bus ride so I translated my favorite Spanish song. Thank God for Spanish-English dictionaries. Conjugations are from my memory so I apologize if I took some liberties in the translations. And since FF decided to ban song lyrics in fics, I decided to not put the original lyrics here. Translations are by me so I wrote it and its mine.)

Chapter 8

The morning came, and with it no answers, no magical enlightenment, only more questions than Ken cared to face. He dressed slowly, reluctantly. He could feel his father's eyes upon him, as though he sensed something was wrong. His father didn't ask though, and he didn't offer to explain.

At last he heard a wagon pull up outside. "He's here," he said, a little more breathlessly than he had intended.

"Sounds like it," his father answered.

"Where's Kase gone to?" he asked, more out of the need to say something than actual curiosity.

"Your grandmother's, I suspect."

Ken nodded. Kase had spent more time there of late than he himself had. He hoped that the two of them were getting a chance to know each other, since his cousin had missed out on that in his childhood.

He took a deep breath and, with his father, left the house. Outside Ran waited, his face pale and drawn. _It looks like he didn't sleep much either. _

He had a sudden mental image of Ran lying in his bed, and he pushed it from his mind, trying hard to control the blush he was sure was on his cheeks already.

"Father agreed to come with me today to help out," he said, avoiding Ran's piercing gaze.

Ran suppressed the surprise from his features. "You are most welcome, sir," he said, inclining his head to Reiji.

"The honor is mine," his father said, bowing.

They climbed aboard the wagon, Ken sitting between the two of them. The seat was narrow, so they all had to sit close. His father's knee was touching his on one side, and Ran's knee was touching his on the other.

_Well, this is more awkward than I could have imagined, _he thought as the silence stretched around them.

At last they reached the castle, and Ken was all too happy to touch solid ground and move a little way apart from the other two. Lan was waiting for them and hailed his arrival with a shout and a smile.

"Hello, Lan," he called warmly.

"And how are you this fine morning?"

"Never better," he answered.

"Who have you brought with you?"

"This is my father, Reiji. Father, this is Lan. He's in charge of all the horses."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," his father said, his face breaking into a grin as he shook hands with Lan.

"Likewise. You've raised quite a fine young man here."

"Thank you," Reiji answered. "Though I can't take all the credit; he's got a strong will of his own."

"So I noticed."

"If you to are quite finished, I believe we have some horses to see to," Ken interrupted, cursing himself for blushing once again.

His father beamed at him, and he could see the love and pride in his eyes. It hadn't been easy for him all these years, and it was good to know how he felt. Ken felt a warm glow inside as he set off between the two older men.

* * *

Ran watched Ken as he walked off with his father and Lan. He was completely in his element talking with them. He turned with a heavy heart and walked inside.

He hadn't slept for thinking of Ken, wondering and worrying about what he should do. _Since I've met him, I have had no peace. No amount of meditation or practicing my forms can calm my mind. No amount of logic can calm my heart. I feel my blood run hot within me, and I feel the call of the wolf though the moon dwindles in the night sky._

_I feel as though I am losing all that I have struggled so hard to gain – my control, my reason. In the end, is he worth it, or will the cost in lives and blood be too much?_

No, he was certain that Ken was altogether worth it, even worth the blood of a hundred others. The question was, did he have the right to make that choice? The blood would be on his head alone. Did he have the right to condemn others so that he could live and love?

He didn't think so, but when he was near him, he knew that he would not be able to make the choice to turn away. _The wise path would move me away from him, away from he who holds sway over my heart and slays my logic with a single glance, reduces me to the level of the beasts with a single kiss. _

Two children ran in front of him, and a third, chasing them, bumped into him. He gave the boy a seething glare and sent him scurrying away in tears. He stood for a moment, ashamed of himself. Still, something inside him whispered, _You are the lord of the castle, and he lives by your leave alone. You can terrorize him if you wish; you can kill if it is your will. _

He winced in anguish, struggling against all that was dark in himself. _This is exactly why it is dangerous to have Ken around. Without him I have more control, I am less dangerous._

_Without him, though, I am miserable, lost, and alone. _He paced the cold castle and bemoaned his fate.

* * *

With the help of his father and Lan, and brief interventions from Yuriko, Ken finished by nightfall. Many of the horses were seldom used, and their shoes were still in good repair. No sooner would he finish checking one horse than another would be brought to him, so the work had proceeded quickly. He had pulled off dozens of shoes, filed down the hooves, and nailed on new shoes. All of that had left no time for thoughts of Ran, for which he was grateful. Still, at its completion, he breathed a sigh of relief.

He was slightly disappointed but not surprised when Lan entered the castle and returned with a bag of gold and the announcement that he would take them home. With a last wave from a grinning Yuriko, they set off to the wagon.

On the way the three of them chatted amicably, though Ken's mind was elsewhere. When at last he made it home, he tumbled onto his bed, fully clothed. Exhausted from his labors, he fell asleep.

He awoke late, and dressed in a clean shirt and trousers. After a moment's hesitation, he donned the red cloak. Upon putting it around his shoulders, he felt an unexplainable warmth comfort him. His father was off already and he didn't see any sign of Kase. After packing some food supplies in a basket, he set out for his grandmother's house. It was only once he set foot into the woods that he realized he didn't have his dagger. Horrified, he froze. _What happened to it? _Then he remembered letting it fall to the floor of the wagon. He closed his eyes and groaned. He would have to see Ran to get it back.

He opened his eyes and forced himself to start walking. As he strode farther into the forest he began to relax, remembering that for a few weeks, at least, he had nothing to fear.

The trees whispered above him, but they didn't seem to have anything of importance to say. He listened to them and to the few birds that had decided to stay and face the winter's wrath. There was a bite to the air that had not been there the week before.

_It feels like snow. Before long winter will be here in full force, _he realized. A squirrel ran across the path, his cheeks bulging with nuts for his collection. Soon the furry creature would seek out the warmth of his den and spend the winter feasting on the fruit of his labors.

He smiled to himself and took the extra time to really look around the forest at the creatures surrounding him. In the past he had always raced through at such a pace that he had rarely noticed the comings and goings of the other creatures.

A branch cracked in the distance., and he turned just in time to see a deer slipping out of sight. He stopped for a moment to marvel before moving on again. By the time he reached his grandmother's house, he had seen more wonders in the woods than he had ever allowed himself the leisure to see before.

He was smiling as he walked into his grandmother's house. Manx looked up and eyed him shrewdly, though.

"What's wrong?" she asked bluntly.

Ken's eyes fell upon Kase, occupying a chair near the fire. "Nothing is wrong, Grandmother," he said in a weak voice. "I just took my time this morning."

"It isn't that which I'm talking about," the red-haired woman huffed. "But we can discuss it later."

* * *

Several hours later, Ken took his leave, without having had a chance to discuss Ran with his grandmother. He and Manx had spent the time talking with Kase about some of the plants that Ken already knew about. Kase was till trying to learn all that Ken had in the years he had been studying. When he left, Kase accompanied him.

Just as they were about to leave the clearing, Ouka and Masafumi entered it from the other side. They looked startled at the sight of Kase, but after a moment they nodded their heads shyly.

"Who were they?" Kase asked once they were out of earshot.

"Ouka and Masafumi – friends of Grandmother's."

"Do they study with her as well?" he asked, his tone somewhat sharp.

"You'd have to ask them that," he said cautiously as he looked at Kase.

He didn't look any better. If anything, he looked worse. His hair had grown even longer and was unkempt. His eyes seemed slightly larger, like he was constantly staring at something. His nostrils flared wide, taking in great draughts of air even though he and Ken were walking slowly.

"How are your studies going?" he asked hesitantly.

"They are not progressing as quickly as I had hoped," he admitted, his voice hard.

"Give it time. The first thing I learned from Grandmother was patience."

"Patience. That is one thing I need no more of," he said, a hint of anger in his voice.

"I didn't mean anything, Kase," he hastened to assure him.

"I know," he said with a sigh.

They walked a little way before he asked, "What all has Grandmother taught you?"

"She's taught me a lot about most of the healing plants that grow in the woods. I've learned how to make poultices to help with swelling, stop bleeding, and reduce pain, which I find quite handy in the shop. I've also learned how the stars are different in the winter and summer. I've been helping her map them."

"That's it?" he asked, sounding disappointed.

"I don't have as much time to study as I would like," Ken admitted. "Still, I've learned multiple treatments for all of those injuries, and how to tell if the plants are mature. I like the medicine part, but I found the stars really fascinating."

He fell silent, remembering the night he had lain out, safe behind his father's house, looking at the stars. _How many of them were full moons? How many of those nights was Ran wandering the woods?_

He had to stop thinking about Ran. He returned to the conversation. "What is it you want to learn?" he asked, cocking his head to the side in curiosity.

"I would like to learn what causes sickness and how to cure it," he answered readily.

"Well, she can certainly teach you that."

"I hope so," he answered.

When they reached the village, Kase veered off toward the house, but Ken kept walking. He passed the shop without glancing at it.

"Hello, Ken," the miller greeted as he passed.

"Hello," he responded without looking. His thoughts were elsewhere, racing ahead of him to the castle. He wasn't sure what he planned to say to Ran when he saw him. He did know one thing: he wasn't leaving until he got his knife back.

It was a long walk, and he was worn out by the time he reached the castle. As he walked into the forecourt he felt a sudden twinge of misgiving. It had been a folly to come here and approach him on his own ground.

_Although, this is all actually his ground, _he thought. _He owns it all – the land, the village, even the forest. _Suddenly, he felt very, very small.

"Lord Ken!" Yuriko walked up to him, leading a white mare. Upon nearing him, she gave a slight curtsy and a saucy grin.

"I'm no lord, Yuriko," he laughed nervously, trying to avoid her piercing stare.

"Not the rumor I hear," she said with a wink.

He flushed. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."

"I imagine you're here to see Lord Ran."

"Wh-what makes you say that?"

"Well, you came to speak to either him or me, and I figured he was more likely."

Ken gave her a lopsided grin. "As much as I'd like to say I came to speak to you, you're correct. I am here to see Lord Ran."

"Then let's go find him."

Yuriko led him into the castle and through a maze of rooms on the ground floor where they found Omi brooding near what he guessed to be the infirmary. As they approached the smaller boy, he looked up to give them a wide smile, his blue eyes once again containing a spark of life.

"Good afternoon, Ken! It sure is good to see you here again. Off to find my cousin, aren't you?" the cheerful boy asked as he gave the taller man a slight hug.

Returning the hug in kind, Ken felt his crimson face heat up once more as both Omi and Yuriko burst into hearty giggles. He frowned, surprised to feel something on his waist, and looked down to find a sheathed dagger on Omi's waist. He gasped. For a moment, he thought it was his brother's dagger – the hilt was made of the same material and the design was the same, but upon closer inspection, he found to his relief that it was too fancy and bejeweled to be his.

He resigned himself to suffer through the torture that is the teasing of two very animated people and hoped overheating wouldn't kill him.

Taking pity on his disturbingly scarlet face, Omi turned to Yuriko and asked, "Have you seen the Master Healer anywhere? I have some things to discuss with him concerning our other guest."

Ken sighed in relief as their attention shifted from him to the topic at hand. His gaze roamed to the spacious room, eyeing expensive paintings and priceless relics. It was only a corridor, but upon regular intervals were elaborate tapestries depicting hunting scenes and fancy lamps illuminating the chamber. He felt like the most insignificant wretch in the whole land.

"All right then, see you around Yuriko! It was nice talking to you Ken! I hope to see you at dinner." And with a last hearty wave, Omi was off to the grand staircase.

Ken gave the departing figure a wan smile and turned back to Yuriko who instantly ushered him on until they found Ran. He sat perched behind a large table with parchments spread out before him. His head was bent and he was clearly engrossed in what he was reading.

"Milord, you have a visitor," Yuriko said with a deep curtsy.

Without looking up, Ran waved. "Show them in."

"Very well, milord," Yuriko said, smiling at Ken on her way out. She gently closed the door behind him after giving Ken a playful wink.

He walked forward hesitantly, eyes fixed on the top of Ran's head. His mouth was dry, and everything he had rehearsed on his way fled from his memory.

"Milord," he said in a raspy voice that did not sound like his own.

"Yes?" he asked icily, dipping a pen in ink and scratching something on a paper before him.

"I want my dagger back."

"Who – " he started to ask, looking up. He stopped "Ken!"

"Yes."

He got up from his seat hastily and came around the table. "You look – wait, what did you say?"

"I want my dagger back," he said, forcing himself to smile.

"Oh," Ran said with a disappointed glint in his eyes, which he hastily tried to cover. "I thought you came here to see me," he said, trying not to smirk at the sudden reddening of the other's cheeks.

"I did. I came here to see you and ask for my dagger back."

Something flashed in his violet eyes; whether it was amusement or anger, Ken couldn't tell. In a moment he pulled himself up to his full height, and suddenly he knew he was looking at Lord Ran and not at his friend Ran.

He strode forward, pulling the dagger from his belt. "You are looking for this." He handed it to the shorter man, hilt first.

Ken pulled at it, but Ran didn't let go.

"I haven't been able to stop thinking about you," he said softly, his voice sending shivers up Ken's spine.

"Really, I haven't been able to tell," he answered truthfully.

"We are all wrong for each other."

"I agree," he said, heat washing through him.

"Since that day we met in your shop, I haven't been able to think rationally. I haven't been able to order my emotions so that I could control the wolf. You have turned my life so upside down that I no longer have control over what I do in that state."

"You are blaming me for your killing the tanner?" he sputtered, feeling his temper rise.

"Indirectly, yes. If you hadn't so distracted me, I would have been able to control myself."

"So it's my fault that you can't control yourself?"

"It is," he answered in a cold voice, amethyst eyes flashing.

Ken pulled on his knife, but he held firm.

"Maybe you should be looking no further than your own black heart if you're looking to cast blame."

"This is exactly the reason why I need to stay as far away from you as possible. I can't think straight around you."

He let go of the dagger, and Ken angrily stuffed it under his belt. "All you are is a danger to yourself and to me," he hissed, taking several steps backward.

"And when I am near you, all I feel is passion – no logic, no reason, just overwhelming emotion," he spat.

Ken glared at him as he stepped closer. "We should never see each other again," Ran said, his frosty tones sending stabs of hurt into Ken's heart.

"That is fine with me," he said, stepping back again until his back hit the wall.

He stared deep into his amethyst eyes, and suddenly he saw something, a change in them. Ran's voice was little more than a growl. "Unfortunately that doesn't work for me."

Then his hands were on his waist and his lips were hot on his. Ken moaned as he wrapped his arms around the taller man's neck and gave in to his embrace. He was pinned between Ran and the wall with nowhere to go even if he had wanted to. _But I don't want to go anywhere. I want to stay here with him, be a part of him. _His tongue blazed a fiery path into his mouth until it entangled with his, drawing him deeper into his embrace.

Ran gently bit his lip, tugging on it slightly with his teeth, and he closed his eyes. "It's no use," he said, pulling away ever so slightly. "I tried to forget you, but I can't, not now, not ever. I need you, I don't care what the consequences, no matter what they say. Just knowing you, loving you, makes me crazy. If that is my fate, I'd rather go mad with you by my side."

He kissed his cheek and then trailed kisses down his throat. Ken couldn't stop the groan from escaping, and Ran gave him a feral grin.

"We are only going to destroy each other," Ken whispered. "I should leave now and never return."

"It's too late for that," Ran said, gazing at him fiercely.

"Why?"

"You love me, don't you?"

"Yes," he whispered. "God forgive me, I do."

"Then I shall never let you go, for I love you."

"I could run."

"I would catch you," Ran growled against his lips.

"I could kill you."

"Only your absence could do that."

"You can't make me stay with you."

"I will if you marry me."

Ken gaped at him for a long moment. "Ran! We couldn't – the Doctrine – how…"

Ran smiled at his spluttering form. "No matter what, I will not lose you."

Ken calmed at his words. Then blushed. White-hot flame exploded throughout his being. "I have no choice but to stay with you, do I?"

"None."

He smiled slowly. "Then kiss me again."

* * *

Ran took him home. Together, they rode his stallion. Ken sat behind him, his arms wrapped around his waist, and he savored the feeling of the wind in his hair. He felt too much like a girl in this position, but the comfort of Ran's body too near his made him forget the frivolous thought.

Despite all his work with horses, it was his first time on one, and given the way things seemed to be going, it would not be his last.

Night had fallen, and he gazed up at the moon. It was so beautiful, pale and pristine. He let its light shine upon his face, and he thanked the moon for bringing them together, for without it, they might have always been strangers.

Outside his home Ran dismounted, and he fell from the horse's back into his arms, laughing. Ran set him down on his feet. "Are you ready?" he asked Ken as he caressed his upper arms.

"No, but that's never going to change."

Ran nodded and gave him a small smile that warmed him to his very core. "Together, anything is possible."

Ken took a deep breath and walked inside. Both his father and Kase looked up from the table where they were finishing supper.

"Ken, who do you have with you?" Reiji asked, squinting to see behind him.

"It's Lord Ran," Ken said, his voice catching only slightly.

He felt Ran move in behind him, closing the door after him. "Hello again," he said, his tone surprisingly light and conversational.

Reiji and Kase instantly stood and bowed. "Milord, welcome to our home," Reiji said, quickly overcoming his surprise.

Kase, on the other hand, said nothing., but Ken noticed that he was glaring at Ran. "This is my cousin, Kase," he said, hastening to introduce them.

"Good to meet Ken's cousin," Ran said politely, but with a hint of iciness in his voice.

Kase only nodded in return, and Ken was embarrassed. _Why is he acting so strange?_

"Good sir," Ran said, addressing his father. "I have come to you to discuss your son."

"Do you have another job for him?" Reiji asked.

Ran smiled. "I do indeed, and it is far more important than the last."

"We will be honored to help in whatever way we can," Reiji hastened to assure him.

"It gladdens me to hear you say so. The truth of the matter is, I have come to ask your permission to let Ken live with me at the castle. Permanently."

Reiji's face registered shock, and he turned to Ruth, seeking and explanation. Suddenly his face broke into a smile. "Ah! Yuriko – she wishes for Ken to stay…"

"No, it is not for Yuriko that I am here," Ran spoke up immediately.

"It is for himself," Kase spoke up suddenly.

"Your cousin is very astute. It _is _for myself that I am seeking this. I wish to live with Ken as my lover."

Reiji's face went completely white. Ken stepped forward and took his hand. His father turned to look at him, mute.

"It is true, Father. Ran and I are in love, and I wish to be with him."

"What have you done to him? What would the villagers think when they hear of this?" Kase hissed.

Ran turned on him, nostrils flaring. "I am the lord of this land. I may do as I please. Even the Church would not condemn love."

The two locked eyes, and the hair on the back of Ken's neck stood on end. He heard a slow growling begin to fill the room, and what scared him most was that he wasn't sure which one of them it was coming from.

"Enough!" Reiji said, and both men snapped their eyes back to him. "This is a very unprecedented event, and I still am not sure what to think of it. What I am sure of, though, is that I approve wholeheartedly. I would be honored to have you join my family, whether or not it be through marriage."

Ran smiled and stepped forward. "It will be my honor to call you father, and I will find a way for your son and I to be bonded in some way."

The two embraced, and Ken's joy was complete. His father approved. That was all that mattered. The villagers may speak, the priests may condemn. As long as they were together, nothing could go wrong. He turned to glance at Kase, though, and was instantly chilled to the bone. He was glaring at the two men, his eyes wide and practically shining in the darkness. He shivered and wrapped his arms tight about himself, striving to keep out the chill.

* * *

News of their unconventional engagement having finally been made public, Ken felt like shriveling up into nothingness, too embarrassed by the attention lavished to him by the villagers. Some of them were appalled by the news, a few more were plainly disgusted, but most of them saw the happiness brimming in the two men's eyes – and accepted.

Ken felt like bursting into song as he stood hammering out a new sword, a sort-of house-warming gift for Ran. They were scheduled to transfer his things in two weeks' time, and for him to actually go to the palace and have the bonding ceremony in four and a half.

His grandmother had been delighted for him, although not surprised. She had hinted that there were things about Ran that Ken should know. Ken had replied that he knew all of Ran that he needed to. His grandmother seemed suspicious, but Ken dared not to reveal his newfound secret about Ran's family, at least not yet.

As the news had spread, the villagers had begun to treat him differently. At first he had found it unnerving and tried to make them stop, but he had finally grown to accept it. Some of the men deigned not to disguise their aversion to their relationship, but they were quickly hushed by the others who gave Ken a kind smile. There were even whispers that his grandmother might be able to return to the village. Everyone was eager to embrace the boy who would be bonded to the earl, even if it meant overlooking their fear of his grandmother and their distaste instilled to them by the Church.

The one dark spot in his happiness was Kase. For the last three weeks, his cousin had haunted his steps, watching him like a hawk. Whenever Ran was close by, Kase would be extra alert and aggressive.

From his stool in the corner of the shop, Kase spoke. "I think Grandmother is holding things back from me."

"What do you mean"? Ken asked cautiously.

"I think she knows more than she is willing to tell."

Ken sighed, not liking the direction this seemed to be heading. "Maybe she doesn't think you're ready to learn them yet."

"Not ready? Not ready? I spent nine years in hell itself, and she thinks I'm not ready?"

Ken put his hammer down and resolutely turned to face him. "Kase, what is it that you want?"

"I want to return and avenge Youji!" he practically shouted. "And myself," he added too softly that Ken could barely hear him.

He felt a twinge in his heart. "Kase, what are you saying? You can't go back there. I can't lose you, too!"

Kase gazed at him, and for a moment Ken saw in his eyes the boy who had gone off to war so long ago. "You already have, Ken," he whispered. "God help me, I might as well have died on that battlefield."

TBC…

* * *

Author's Notes:

Um, I think I made Ken a potential witch here, with all the talk of poultices and potions (snickers). Geez, the whole homosexuality stuff is a pain here. I'm trying to just let the people be as accepting as I can stretch them to be, and I'm REALLY sorry if I'm stretching things here WAY too far. In the timeline of the original plot, the lead characters are supposed to be getting ready to be married. Since I can't do that with this fic, I'm settling to bond them in a sort-of civil union that Ran would manage to coerce from whoever gives civil unions back then. Just go ahead and kill me.

Or not. I'm still suffering from my spelunking ordeal 3 days ago. We climbed ropes twice! It should be clear that we weren't pros; heck, we weren't even beginners, darn it! At least we had some fun amidst the monotony that is our seminar, and the place we stayed in reached the temp. of around 12 °C. When we went back, it was around 28 °C and now I have a cold. In the middle of summer. Oh joy.

* * *

Replies to Reviews (Chapter 8): Since I'm too lazy to type more words, I'll say here that everyone gets a free strawberry-topped cupcake.

**Ru-chan** Um, I hope Ran was able to satisfy you in this chapter (snickers). He really is such a sweetie, ne? Although I have this nagging feeling that I made him too… sappy? Augh! Oh well. Gomen for taking too long. I decided to rest for a while since I arrived only yesterday morning (4 a.m. to be exact) Thanks SO much for the review(s)! (huggles)

**Chitoshiya no Tohma** Ehehehe, you actually liked the sweet part? I understand you liking the, err, tasty part though (nosebleeds) Ne, ne, don't die yet! We still have to discuss the merits (and flaws) of the various yaoi mangas out there for the taking… if you possess money, that is (bawls). I think you're slowly seeping into my somewhat-conservative self! I really want Wataru and Kazuki (is that their names?) to be more _intimate_! Waaah! Nooo! Oh well. Thanks for the review! (Huggles CnT back)

**Burned Vamp** Um, is the "Only the Ring Finger Knows" you're pertaining to the manga? I have it too and I love it to shreds (figuratively!) and it's my fave angst manga ever! Of course, a lot more yaoi mangas are due to be released so I'm quite ecstatic 'bout that. I don't really order from the internet and since I don't live in America, I have to suffer buying at stores where they convert the manga price to our local currency plus shipping and taxes so one DMP/BeBeautiful manga accounts to almost Php 1000! Waaah! Gomen, just wanna let that out, ehehehe… Whee! You like "Out of the Sea?" Wow. I like it too but unfortunately, it's a bitch to write. My fave fic is "The Selkie" because it's a lot easier to write. I'm never attempting to write such a long multi-chapter again. (Gomen for boring you) Thanks for the review! (huggles)

**RosefaerietaleRed** Poor Kenken, indeed! I think you now know how Reiji (and Kase) reacted to their apparent engagement. Did I frustrate anyone with the near-misses in this fic? (snickers) I am SO sorry, I really don't know how to get Ken and Youji together! Still bugging my friends for ideas, ehehehe. Thanks for the review! (huggles)

**Sachiko V** I SO know what you mean! (shudders) I kinda toned the whole experience down for my beloved Kenken and I'm so sorry if it still came out somewhat cruel. Confession? Struggle? Who's struggling? Both of them had epiphanies! Really. Watch me drown in a puddle of sarcasm, ehehehe… Aww, I am SO sorry if I'm taking too long with the reunion thing. I still don't know how to go about it. See? I really AM running out of ideas! Whee! "Ring Finger" is one of the best yaoi manga I've ever read! "Desire" had beautiful angst and characters but it was too… gloomy. Ehehehe, I actually signed the petition 3 times (I have 3 e-mail accounts) and I hope that helped. It has a drama CD! Whaaa! I gotta have it! They should make an OAV or a series too! Oooh, analyzations of the Weiss and "Ring Finger" characs, ne? Nice! Wah, I actually bought volumes 1 and 2 of Passion! It wasn't good. Oh well, at least there was angst. Thanks for the review! (huggles)

**orangejuicehugger** Ehehehe, I already have the manga of "Only the Ring Finger Knows" and I am now rooting to have the (graphic?) novel. I'm not from America, though, so I only have minimal supply of yaoi manga. (bawls) "Ring Finger" is such a beautiful manga! I like the drawings in "Desire" more but "Ring Finger" has such cute people. I especially liked Wataru's clothing style. (drools) 'Nyways, thanks for the tip! (n.n) (huggles)

**Heather R** Whee! Yeah, I saw your name somewhere in the list. I was a bit surprised 'cause the last time I signed up, there were only about 2000, and now, well, there are a lot more! Whee! They have to get that novel out now! Wait… there are more "Ring Finger" novels! Nooooo! I won't have enough money to buy all of them 'till I'm about 30 or so! Waaah! Why do these things have to be so darned costly? The frustrating thing about the OtRFK manga was that there were many scenes that were cut. Like when Kazuki helped Wataru get the books (or something) from the shelves and Wataru was fretting on how to carry them and Kazuki offered to help him and then…? Ne? We gotta have the novel! I just found out that Gravitation has a novel too (I actually saw it last year but I was too interested with the other mangas in the store to give it much thought) and I feel like spiralling down into despair. So many manga/novels and so little money. Ehehehe, gomen for taking too long! I was resting yesterday (I had no choice; once I hit my bed, I was snoozing 'till dinner-time) and I still feel a bit woozy. Oh well. Hope you enjoyed this chappie. Thanks for the review! … Chappie 7 was sad? Whee! (huggles)

**Brokn Innocence** FF is starting to irritate me. What's up with the "no song lyrics" rule? Augh! Oh well. If I ever get booted out of FF, gomen for not being able to finish this fic. Too much happens in this new chapter, and I'm wearing the floor with my pacing, wondering if anyone out there is about to flame me. Oh well. Still dunno what to do with Youji, and even Omi for that matter. Maybe I should just ship them off somewhere to get Youji healed. Or maybe that's too much work. (groans) I am such a lazy git. Kenken won't be devastated yet 'coz he still hasn't discovered that his beloved brother doesn't remember him. Poor Omi though, I dunno why, just, poor Omi. (tries to hide from utter shame) Ok, since everyone can now see what a boring/exhausting seminar can do to me, please forgive my stupidity. … I should be eating too. Ehehehe, I don't feel like it though. I hope you still don't mind the OOCness 'coz practically all my fics are/were written at the top of my head. I seldom use notes/outlines and I conjure the plot in my head. Whatever comes to mind, I type. Editing comes waaay after that. I think I bored you to death. Gomen. Thanks for the review! (huggles)


	10. Part 9

Disclaimer: Blah, blah, fish sticks.

A very belated Happy Mother's Day to mothers, soon-to-be mothers, and wannabe-mothers out there!

Warnings: Ok, my beloved beta said this chapter made her go "That sucks" and "That's sweet". Does that help? Oh. Another short chapter it is.

Oh, and I heard that DMP is offering a new line of **yaoi bath soaps **(the one in bottles) and I SO want a crate of them. I wonder what they'll do when left alone in the shower... Hmm... (nosebleeds)

I still haven't succeeded in one of my goals in life which is to watch the Full Metal Alchemist series. Aww…

**Scarlet Moon**

By _Ninetails_

Chapter 9

_Slash, claw, bite, kill. Angry trees shouting above; ignore them, ignore them. Trees don't touch me, can't hurt me. The woman tasted sweeter than the man, but the man had more meat on him. Destroy, devour, the wolf will have his fill._

_Blame the wolf, always the wolf. Never me, just the wolf. Watch him kill, blood will spill. Growling, snarling, clawing, biting._

_All are dead._

_All are dead._

* * *

"Wolf!" the cry went up through the streets. "Wolf! Wolf!" 

Ken heard the shout and ran outside. He caught the arm of a boy running by and asked him,

"What's happened? Who is dead?"

"A man and a woman found just now, their throats torn open."

"And what of the wolf?" Ken cried. "Did anyone see the wolf?"

"No, but they're going to find him."

Ken released the boy's arms, and he continued running up the street, shouting all the way.

"_Think!" _he said to himself frantically. _Was the full moon last night or the night before? _His brain was racing so fast that he couldn't remember. He forced himself to take several deep breaths, trying to clear his mind. _The night before – the full moon was the night before. That means there will be no wolf for them to find today._

He sagged in relief against the wall of the building and clutched the cross between his fingers. "Ran…" he whispered, "what have you done now?" Just then he caught sight of the grizzly cavalcade bringing the bodies into the middle of town. He didn't want to look, but he was drawn to the wagon against his will. As he stood above the bodies, a fresh wave of horror gripped him, for he recognized Ouka and Masafumi. He backed away with a strangled gasp and turned and ran toward the woods.

He fled into the forest, taking the path toward his grandmother's house. A light dusting of snow covered the ground – the first snowfall of winter. It was not enough to hinder his progress, but he chose his steps carefully.

Halfway down the path he turned sharply and plunged into the woods. Ran had told him that he kept his clothes near that spot. He hoped he was still there.

"Ran!" he cried as he ran. "Ran, where are you?" He stopped running at last and fell to his knees, too exhausted to cushion his descent. "Ran," he gasped, "are you here?"

"I am," a tired voice said behind him. Ken rose and ran straight into his waiting arms.

"What is it?" Ran asked as Ken frantically clutched at his shirt.

"Ouka and Masafumi are dead. They were my grandmother's students. They were found this morning with their throats torn out."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault," Ran said, looking stricken.

"Do you remember anything?" Ken asked, gazing up into his distraught face and gently caressing the tears that were not there.

"Nothing," he answered.

"Maybe it wasn't you."

"Who else could it have been?"

"The next full moon, I'll stay with you. I'll watch you. Maybe I can prove that you are not doing this."

"Ken, what if I hurt you?" he asked with ill-concealed terror in his voice.

"You won't; we'll find a way, I promise. I have to go and tell my grandmother what has happened. Meet me tomorrow."

"Be careful." Ran begged, his amethyst eyes imploring Ken to stay safe.

"I will," he promised. He turned and left while he still could. By the time he reached the path, he was exercising all his restraint to keep the tears at bay, sharp pain lancing at his heart. Whether his misery was for the dead or the living, he did not know. He managed to somewhat calm himself by the time he reached his grandmother's house.

His grandmother opened the door, and upon seeing Ken's face cried out, "What's wrong?"

"Ouka and Masafumi have been killed. They think a wolf did it."

Manx's beautiful face crumbled and she collapsed into Ken's arms. Ken held her as she cried, his own emotions hopelessly chaotic. Perhaps it was time to tell his grandmother the truth. Maybe, just maybe, she could help.

The storm passed at last, and Manx dried her tears. She looked at Ken. "Was there something else you wanted to tell me?"

"Yes." Ken admitted, not even asking her how she knew.

"Does it have something to do with Lord Ran?"

Ken nodded.

"You're still betrothed, aren't you child?"

"Yes."

"Then what is it?"

"Grandmother, you know how you've always taught me to question everything, to find the reasonable explanation for everything?"

Manx nodded, piercing eyes fixed on him.

"Well, there is no reasonable explanation for what I'm about to tell you… "

Manx raised a finely-arched eyebrow but said nothing.

"Ran's family was cursed during the first holy war in Jerusalem. Every male of the family has wolf blood running through his veins. The light of the full moon takes them over, and they run in the forest, a wolf in the eyes of beasts and men."

His grandmother blinked and seemed to accept the news in stride. She looked somber for a moment, then asked, "And you fear that it is he who has been killing of late?"

"He fears it, though I do not wish to. I do know that he was the wolf that attacked me when I was a child."

"Then he is the young man who roams the forest without clothes." Manx mused.

"Yes," answered Ken with a slight blush. "He used to be able to control his actions in wolf form, but as of late he isn't even able to remember what he has done."

"His passion for you has clouded his mind." Manx guessed.

Ken nodded, trying vainly not to blush again.

"Then the two of you have a very serious problem. I do not know if there is anything I can do to help."

"But you do believe me?"

"Of course I believe you." Manx pulled her grandson close. "Sometimes the fantastic is the logical explanation. Your love was cursed by a witch. We will accept that and move on."

"I am sorry," Ken said, anguish filling him once again.

"Do not be sorry, just promise me that you will be careful until we can figure out what to do."

"I will, Grandmother."

"Go now. I need some time to think. Come back next week and we shall talk some more. In the meanwhile, be happy, child. The days of happiness in one's life are fleeting and should be treasured. Hold tight to your Ran, for he will need you now in his hour of darkness."

Ken kissed his grandmother's cheek and took his leave. He hurried home, a shadow chasing his footsteps and sadness eating at his heart. The trees were silent, offering no words of wisdom or comfort or warning. He wished that they would. When the trees whispered, he never felt alone.

He remembered he had once told his grandmother that he thought the trees spoke to him, and that occasionally a tree he knew well would be in a different place. _Like the root that seemed to spring up out of the ground to trip me the day the wolf tore my sleeve._

His grandmother had told him that trees were living things given to constant change and that the forest itself could be different from day to day. She had told him, though, that the trees did not move about and that they whispered only to themselves and not to him. Ken remembered being both relieved and a little disappointed.

"I wish you could tell me what happened last night," he addressed the trees. "Was it truly my Ran or something else?"

The trees kept their secrets. _Maybe they're afraid to tell me, knowing that I do not want the truth they could share._

* * *

Ran wasn't ready to leave the woods, not just yet. It took him a little over an hour to find the place where the man and woman had been killed. Standing there, staring at the blood-soaked ground, he felt sick to the bottom of his soul. 

The imprint of two bodies was visible in the snow. Around them were the tracks of an animal; prints of giant paws tipped with deadly claws jumbled together with the footprints of the man and woman.

He sank slowly to his knees and touched a hand to the scarlet-dyed snow "God forgive me, for I know not what I've done."

"Ran?" He heard Ken's voice soft behind him.

He turned and saw him standing a few feet away. He reached his hand out to him and he came and took it in his, gently caressing his roughened palm. Together they kept vigil, into the dark hours of the night. A light snow began to fall, coating them both with wet flakes.

They spoke not a word, Ken standing and he kneeling, both staring at the marks of violence. He realized Ken's strength was deep, far exceeding his own. Somewhere in the darkness he vowed that another would never die because of him.

"You'll help me?"

"Yes." Ken answered.

* * *

Ken crept into his house before the dawn could break, trying hard to be silent. He slipped into his nightclothes and lay down, gritting his teeth as the bed groaned slightly beneath his weight. 

He rolled over and nearly screamed when he saw Kase staring at him in the darkness. He was lying still on his bed, silent, but his eyes spoke volumes.

_He knows I was with Ran, _Ken realized. _He still does not trust him, and he certainly thinks that we were up to no good. I wish there were something I could say to change his mind._

There wasn't, though, and he knew it. _Maybe it's because it was Ran's father that he and Youji followed off to war; maybe he resents the whole family because of what happened to them there._

Kase turned his head slowly and deliberately away from him, and he felt a cold emptiness inside. Somehow he knew that there, in the darkness, he had lost him. _He has slipped away from me and I don't think he will ever return, _he realized. His heart grew heavy with grief.

At last he turned away too, unable to help feeling bad as he literally and figuratively turned his back on his cousin. _He is beyond my reach and beyond my help. He doesn't trust me anymore because of Ran._

He drifted to sleep, praying that there was still hope for Kase.

* * *

The days fled swiftly by, filled with work and preparations for their impending union. He barely saw Ran for a week. When he did see him, it was only to discuss living arrangements, and they were never alone. 

_Ironic that now our relationship is revealed we are so heavily chaperoned, _he thought. _I am not some woman to have my virtue protected. _He gave up at last and came to grips with the fact that between his family and Ran's servants, they would not be alone again until after he moved into the palace, and rarely even then.

Except I must find a way to be alone with him on the nights of the next full moon, which will end just two days before we are to live together. He will need me then, and no force can keep me from helping him.

He mopped his brow and stepped outside the shop for a breath of fresh air. He was just in time to see Ran riding into the village. _Think of the devil and he shall appear, _he thought bemusedly. _Though I pray he is not the devil we both fear he is._

"Ken!" his dulcet voice that was rarely raised shouted. When he was near enough, he gave Ken a smile that warmed him instantly, a smile that housed desire and promised passion. He blushed, still not used to the gawking stares of the passersby as they first looked at a surprisingly smiling Ran and back to his gaping face.

"Milord," he answered somewhat breathlessly.

"You know, you need to stop calling me that."

"I'll stop calling you that in public after we are formally bonded. In private I shall call you whatever I like," he replied tartly.

"Feisty this morning," Ran answered, chuckling as he slid from his horse. He took a step forward as though he meant to kiss him, when his father came out of the shop, clearing his throat.

Only Ken saw Ran roll his eyes in irritation, and he quickly bit his lip to keep from laughing out loud.

"Good father," Ran greeted Reiji.

"Milord," Reiji answered.

"You can call me son," Ran suggested with a wry note to his voice.

"I'll call you that when you are properly bonded to Ken and not a moment before. Until then, you are milord."

Ran sighed in an exaggerated manner. "I see where Ken gets it from. Pray tell, neither of you harbor any illusions that I might try and back out of our agreement?"

"I don't believe you will, milord. You seem to be an honorable man, if nothing else. It just wouldn't be right."

Ken watched in fascination as Ran set his jaw. He knew that his father still did not wholly trust him in all things. He still believed that Ran was a dangerous man with a hot temper, but he did believe that Ran was honorable. It was a start, at least. Still, for a while there would be no more familiar embraces between the two men like the one they had shared upon sealing the engagement.

He was enjoying the fresh air, but he knew that if he tried to speak with Ran outside, his father would stay and less work would be done. Shoulders slumping, he turned and led the two older men back inside. At least there he and Ran could speak without the attention of the villagers, and his father could work, content that he was performing his chaperone duties.

"What have you come about?" Ken asked.

"Do I need a reason to visit my betrothed?"

Ken gave him a level stare and he smirked in reply.

"Your presence is requested at the castle for some other domestic arrangements."

"I'm going to be at my grandmother's tomorrow. Can we make it the day after?"

"We can do anything you wish," Ran said, looking for all the world like he was going to try kissing him again. He shot a glance at his father, whose back was turned toward them, and then he swooped down and gave Ken a swift peck on the cheek.

He stepped back hastily, but not before his father could say, "I heard that."

Ken couldn't stop himself from laughing.

"I'm sorry, Father," Ran said with humor lacing his voice, giving Ken a smug smile.

"I also had the cardinal send a message to my father, informing him of our … engagement. It will reach him after the affair is done, but he will be glad to hear that I already have someone I hold dear."

A lump formed in Ken's throat at the thought of the Holy Land and the crusade. "Do you think your father will return home soon?" he asked.

Ran shook his head, eyes hardening. "To be honest, I don't know. He has spent most of his adult life there. I don't know why, exactly."

He gave Ken a look, though, that told him he was pretty sure why and that it had something to do with the family's secret. He nodded to show that he understood.

"I look forward to meeting him whenever he does return," Ken said. _If he does return, _he thought to himself, knowing personally how easily he might not.

TBC

* * *

Author's Notes: 

Whee! Another short chapter! I kill too much people in this fic, ne? I'm thinking of changing the rating to PG 16 but no one takes heed anyway. At least, I didn't when I was still a minor. Um, oops? Oh, and **Olivia Yuy Maxwell** gave me a RanKen fanart that is simply beautiful. She doesn't have somewhere to post it though so just bug her to give you a copy or just tell me and leave an e-mail add and I'll forward the picS to you. If you want to use her pics, PLEASE ASK HER FIRST at sirius(underscore)remus(underscore)007 (at) yahoo. Hey, you could mail her too and ask for more lovely pics from her! Whee! I LOVE YOU OLIVIA! (huggles)

I am now a proud owner of book four of the Artemis Fowl series: The Opal Deception. Whee! Haven't finished reading it yet, though.

Since my notes seem to be too short this time, allow me to relate a disturbing incident that took place in the seminar I attended about a week ago. At the last night of our stay (therefore a night of rest – it was after we had our spelunking adventure!), the hotel we stayed in hired an ethnic group to perform a few tribal dances. After the show, they offered free head, back, and foot massages. We, the participants of the seminar, lined up and sat on pillows strewn on the floor; the women were behind us, massaging our heads and backs, and the men were in front, massaging our feet. The guy (in a g-string or loincloth or whatever Igorot men wear) massaging my feet started asking me questions about our trip to the caves. Out of the blue, he asked me if I already have a husband. I was like "Oh my god, I'm only 18, darn it!" and he's like "We're all bachelors here (gesturing to the row of men who were massaging feet) so…" I kinda tuned him out after that. It's a scary thing: to have the guy massaging your feet suddenly kinda-propose (too strong a word?) to you. (shudders)

* * *

Replies to Reviews (Chapter 8, etc.): I baked tiramisu yesterday 'coz we had nothing to eat. So, tiramisu for everyone! (No, you won't get food poisoning or something. Other than that, I can't guarantee edibility) 

**HeatherR** Hai, a Gravitation novel. Elana-chan said that the cover portrayed a more serious Shuichi and Eiri (how could Yuki be _more _serious?). Ehehehe, I seem to let my story flow from happiness to extreme gore and back to sweet fluffiness, ne? Or is it the other way around? Oooooh, a nice idea you have there. Let's see if that's the case in the next chapters, 'kay? (snickers and secretly holds up a "You are SO smart, HeatherR-sama!" banner) Eh, you study homosexuality in history? May I ask why? Is it for research for your fics? (I should do that too, apparently) You have a point; medieval times have a potential to house same sex relationships; what's good (?) about it is no one is the wiser. I mean, privacy is everywhere; couples could get it on in back alleys or something and people would just take it for granted. I think. Gah. 'Nyways, what you said was a real eye-opener for me. Wow. People actually did that in the past? I wonder what made people's views change (as if I don't know). Thanks SO much, it really helped to ease my confounded fears about being too inaccurate with this fic. Btw, thanks for the review! (huggles HeatherR to near-death)

**olivia yuymaxwell** Nyahaha! Thanks SO much for the beautiful fanarts! I wuffs you SO much! And still I ask: _what _sexual tension? There's nothing of the sort in this fic! It's a PG-13 so there's no sexual tension or kissing or blood or gore or… wait… Um, oh, look at that purple thing! (scurries away) Yeah, Midare almost made my nose bleed, but it's a beautiful manga. 'Nyways, I've said what I wanted to say to you on our terribly long e-mails so I just simply want to thank you (again) for the review and the lovely drawings! (huggles)

**Sachiko V** Yeah, I almost wish Reiji is my dad… or something. I mean, my dad finally allowed me to go to sleepovers when I was already 15! Talk about overprotective. Oh, and I'm still working on the right reaction Reiji should have to the circumstances. That kind of father is just too idealistic even for me. Oh well. Aww, I'm so sorry for the whole almost-breaking-up scene! It had to be done! I was typing away happily when Ran and Ken decided to fight! Blame it on _them_! I hope your heart doesn't fibrillate soon. Hehe, I think I'm getting sick of the flowery phrases (looks back at fic and shudders) but it fits the story and the era so it's sticking for good; at least, in _this _fic. Yeah, Ran and Ken FOREVER! Mwahahaha! (strikes a Gai sensei pose complete with sparkling teeth – and no, no bowl-cut hair) Thanks for the review! (huggles)

**Brokn Innocence** Ehehehe, Kase seems uberly suspicious, ne? Wonder why… Darn it, Omi and Youji are off in their own little world and I'll feel like a speck of dust if I dare impede in their "alone time." Um, yeah, I really am lazy. But it was a nice excuse, ne? Ne? yeah, all writers have a right to OOCness! Mwahahaha! (I should stop with the manic laughter) Eh? You go to the kitchen right after reading my fics? Wonder why. WAI! "Ring Finger" is the coolest, cutest boy love manga around! (Or the coolest, cutest boy love manga I own…) Thanks for the review! (huggles)

**cat** ehehehe, I sure hope your mail is yahoo. It didn't register in the review. Oh well. Aww, thanks for thinking this fic is cool. Hope you like the new installment and sorry for taking way too long. I was feeling a bit lazy to log-in at FF. Ehehehehe… 'Nyways, thanks for the review! (huggles)

**Ru-chan** Whee! You think it's a nice chapter? Really? Awww… (head in the – rain – clouds) Yeah, I portray Kase way too decently in my fics. Maybe it's because of the fact that I've never seen him yet. Ehehehe, gomen. I've started fixing that so I hope you like it. People here have such a grudge on Kase! I wonder why… Kidding! I was kidding! (hides under a blanket) Oh, Omi and Youji are off in their own world. It'd be a shame to intrude on their privacy now, ne? Err, yeah, lame excuse. I'll insert them somewhere sometime. I hope. (hides under convenient… towel) Thanks for the review! (huggles)

And now I'm off to eat a very late breakfast.


	11. Part 10

Disclaimer: All characters mentioned belong in the animé series Weiss Kreuss. The plot is taken from the book _Scarlet Moon _by Debbie Viguié. Please don't sue me…?

For Olive, fanart-factory extraordinaire, and the only one to ever see my true (fat, ugly) face (in Friendster, no less), I'm sorrrrryyyyyy! I still couldn't work on that fic! People out there, her fanarts are simply adorable! Wanna see? Just say so/mail me! (she hasn't come around to posting it anywhere yet)

For Skyyler-sama, arigatou for beta reading! And thanks A LOT for those revisions! (huggles but keeps it to a minimum 'coz she might spread the disease)

Oh, and in a totally random tangent, my best friend didn't know how to operate a mop until last week when, for some reason, her parent's bedroom was flooded.

**Scarlet Moon**

By _Ninetails_

Chapter10

The trees were whispering again as Ken hurried toward his grandmother's. He couldn't tell what the trees were saying, but it made him scurry even faster, feet flying across the crunching snow. Two weeks had passed since Ken had told Manx of Ran's curse. When he had gone last week to try and discuss it further, he had been frustrated in his purpose by the presence of Kase.

Kase had arrived before he did, and he had left after he did as well. These days his cousin looked gaunt, his scraggly hair tied back with a leather tie. He had been growing his hair out, and it was at the length that made him look a little wild and unkempt. He paced the room constantly, reminding Ken of the squirrel that had spent three hours accidentally trapped in their cottage the summer before.

Ken had wished to discuss his cousin with his grandmother as well, but he didn't have the chance. _Today, hopefully, things will be different._

Upon reaching the clearing, he noted how silent everything seemed. A ripple of unease went through him as he knocked on the door. There was no answer.

"Grandmother?" Ken called as he opened the door. He walked inside and his blood ran cold. Everywhere glass jars lay smashed on the floor, his grandmother's worktable was turned over, its contents scattered everywhere.

"Grandmother," Ken whispered, terror filling him.

A groan from the corner drew his attention. There lay Manx, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth and shards of broken glass covering her clothes. Ken dropped to his knees and cradled his grandmother's head.

"Who did this to you?" he gasped.

Manx could only manage a gurgling sound.

"What did they do to you?"

Again there was no answer. Manx's eyes closed and her body slumped.

"Grandmother!" Ken screamed.

Manx did not stir, but Ken noticed with relief the steady rise and fall of her chest. At least she was still alive. Gently, the brunette eased his grandmother's head back down onto the ground and stood up._ Somewhere in this house there is something that can help me; I just need to figure out what it is. _He crossed to a shelf which had jars that were still intact and studied the contents.

Three hours later Ken had cleaned up the house as best as he could. He had moved his grandmother to the bed and had done his best to make her comfortable. He had applied a poultice to his grandmother's wounds and was trying to decide what to do next.

Outside the wind howled like a ravenous wolf, rattling the shutters as though seeking a way in. It was then that Ken truly understood that he was wrestling not with nature or injury but with death itself. He raised his fist to the sky. "You cannot have her!" he cried to wind and dark and death. Just then there was a knock at the door. He flung open the door, half expecting hell itself to be on the other side. Instead it was Ran, his face twisted in concern.

"I waited for you for hours," he said. "Is anything wrong?"

"Everything," Ken answered in frustration. "Someone attacked Grandmother."

"What!" Ran exploded, pushing past him into the cabin. "Is she okay?" he asked.

"I don't know. I'm not sure what I can do to help her."

Ran knelt by Manx and laid his ear to her chest. "Her heartbeat is slow, erratic," he said after a moment. He glanced up. "Could she have been poisoned with something here?" he asked.

"I'm sure she was, but I don't know with what," Ken said, cursing himself for not being able to think clearly.

"We can take her to the village healer."

"No!" Ken exclaimed. "She is not welcome in the village. Also, she and the healer never saw eye to eye. She would rather die than have him treat her."

"Well, she might do just that," Ran said grimly, rising to his feet. "Tell me what I can do."

"Go tell my father what has happened," Ken begged.

* * *

His father came, but there was nothing he could do other than look helplessly at the still body of his mother. At last he went home, tired and upset. Kase didn't come, but sent word that he would help out Ken's father while he took care of their grandmother. 

For Ken, it was a long, sleepless night filled with worry. The next morning he sat by his grandmother's bed, grateful that Kase had offered to help his father in the shop for a few days. He was surprised that he hadn't offered instead to come and keep watch over Manx, though. _Maybe he's seen too much death and illness, _he thought.

Ken continued to work on finding a cure for the one woman who could have told him what to use. "Come on, Grandmother, wake up. I need another lecture," he pleaded softly.

_It's not fair that the one person who could fix all this is the one person who can't, _he thought.

He had racked his brain time and again thinking of all the poisons his grandmother had warned him about but none of them seemed to match Manx's symptoms.

He rose and walked about the room, stopping to look again at each jar, each potted plant, and each drying herb. _The answer is here, I know it,_ he thought, frustrated.

He sat again and took a deep breath. Mentally he ticked off once more all the poisons he knew. Then, at last, it came to him. _The day I came to tell her Youji would never come back. What was she talking about?_

Monkshood.

_That's it!_

"Please, please let me remember how to treat it," he prayed.

_Grandmother said it was incredibly deadly. A small amount could cause numbing, a tiny bit more death. She also went on to say something about slowing the heart, causing paralysis… _

He struck his fist into his open palm. If it could do that, surely it could render someone unconscious.

With renewed purpose he made the rounds of the cottage, searching for the cure. _I don't remember what it was, but hopefully something will jog my memory._

When he came across the digitalis, he remembered. "I have to fight poison with poison," he said out loud, beginning to feel sick with anxiety. "I could kill her, but if I do nothing, she will die anyway."

He turned, determined, and crossed back to his grandmother, placing a piece of the poison plant in his grandmother's mouth and washing it down with a small sip of wine. _She said something about alcohol being good for treating both of them. Let's hope she was right._

Ken waited anxiously for some sign. Nothing happened for nearly an hour, and then, suddenly, Manx began to vomit.

Ken panicked but quickly rolled his grandmother onto her side and helped clean out her mouth. The woman's chest began to heave and her skin grew warm to the touch, a marked difference from her clamminess that morning.

Suddenly her eyes flew open, the deep green almost totally obscured by the black orbs in the centers. They were enormous, but some part of Ken told him that this was right.

Manx reached up and grasped Ken's hand for a moment. She squeezed it hard before her own hand fell back to her side and her eyes closed. Her body slumped again and Ken feared the worst. Manx's chest still rose and fell steadily, though.

Ken put his ear to his grandmother's chest and almost cried for joy when he could hear her heart beat, steady and strong. _It's working! Hold on, Grandmother, you're going to be okay after all, _Ken thought.

He sat back up with an overwhelming sense of relief. As he stared at his grandmother's body, however, he realized that they weren't out of the woods yet.

* * *

Over the next several days his grandmother awoke off and on, usually just long enough to take a sip of water. She still couldn't speak, but she smiled up at Ken, her beautiful eyes expressive, before she would slip back into her slumber. 

Ken longed to ask her what had happened, who had attacked her, but his grandmother was never conscious for long enough. _Not that she could answer me anyway._

The days passed and Ken's anxiety grew. Ran visited several times, always accompanied by his father. Ken managed to joke that his grandmother wasn't much of a "chaperone" in her state, but it was hard to feel cheerful.

Still, plans for their union were made, and his father managed to get work done at his shop. The world moved on without Ken, but as the full moon drew near again Ken began to fear. He had never been able to discuss with his grandmother what to do to help Ran.

At last, the night before Ran was to transform, Manx awoke and was able to stay conscious. She tried to speak but could not yet, her throat still raw from her ordeal. The next afternoon Ken felt he could leave her alone, at least for a few hours, while he tended to the wolf.

TBC

* * *

Author's Notes: 

I originally planned to update this fic on the nights of the full moon. But I figured it would take me about a year if I do so. Quite funny, in fact, since tonight is the last night of the full moon. Whee!

My cousins were confined to the hospital last Wednesday. I had to take care of the stupid little, err, I mean, poor little souls. Then, my other cousin and my little sis had fevers as well. And now, my five year old cousin was confined. So, I had to take care of the miserable, err, I mean, distressed angels. I blame it on the weather. They spend half the time in AC'd rooms, then they'd go out to play in our playground under the sweltering sun. Geez. And I managed to catch the disease that's been lurking around the house so I feel miserable as well. That's one of the reasons why I wasn't able to update this week.

The other is the dreaded, plain, old, writer's block. Hence the shortness of this update. Whee.

Oh, and have I ever mentioned that this'll be the last WK fanfic I'll write for a long, LONG time?

* * *

Replies to Reviews (Chapter 9): Umm, hospital food, anyone? (snickers) 

**Moon without a Sun** Waaaaaaaaahhh! I AM SO SORRY FOR TAKING TOO LONG TO UPDATE! (AND YEAH, THE CAPS LOCK BUTTON DECIDED TO TUR ON BY ITSELF) 'Nyways, oops, I almost forgot about Youji. Still trying to work the others back into the plot. Somehow. Gah, too troublesome. Hehe, go Shikamaru! I'm so sorry for the short update, but in pain of prolonging Manx and Ken's angst/torture, I'd rather tone it down. Ne? Did that make sense? Gah. Thanks for the review! (huggles)

**Ru-chan** Ehehehe, yup, they're UBER sweet. I was giggling madly (okay, not _really_) while I was envisioning that particular chapter, but when I tried to write it down… Gah. Goes to show, ne? Late breakfasts are good! (sigh) The life of a student… or bum… yeah, I'm too lazy to cook my own food. Hehe… (hides under convenient pile of towels) Kase sucks? He kills people? Hehe. I have a feeling that you'll hate him even more than you already do after reading this chappie. Yeah, that was a blatant hint. Gomen. 'Nyways, thanks SO much for the review! (huggles)

**Little Fox Kit** (blinks at amount of reviews)… You… are… insane! Hehe… Glad you appreciate the first chappie. Even though it featured a half-bitten Kenken. I like the trees too, err, I mean, the trees creep me out too. I don't even know if they're there to help out or to just add more creepiness to the story. (Nah, not really. They're just there to add more length…) Um… Dinner? Alcohol? How old are you again! Ehehehe, don't mind me, I started drinking (only gin and wine! … and vodka…) when I was 14. Or 13. Not sure anymore. Waaaaahhh! I didn't get the link! doesn't support links anymore! If you don't mind, please PLEASE send me the link again. Or mail it to me. Hehehe… Arigatou! Anime wallpapers! Gimme! Hehe, I likie the effects of alcohol on you! Hehe. Dun' worry, can't hold my liquor too… WAAAAAAAIII! NARUTO IS SO COOL! I won't really attempt to buy/dl the manga 'coz it's too troublesome (go Shikamaru!) so I just watch the series, dl some djs/pics/fics, and buy plushies! I have Naruto and Sasuke plushies of my own! The Kakashi and Iruka ones are with Elana-chan. What (yaoi?) pair do you support? I'm currently IN LOVE with the SASUNARU pairing! Have you read "Daddy Rooster Head?" Mwahahaha! Have you seen the doujinshis in zettai-hentai? Yummy! Wait… (nosebleeds) Even though I'm only about halfway through the series, yeah, NARUTO ROCKS! I love the first op theme, "Wind." Wai! Orochimaru is freaky-cool! Sasuke is god, and Naruto is adorable! Whee! Okay, gotta get down from my high. Thankies for the reviewS! (huggles _hard_)

**oliviayuymaxwell** Ehehehe, glad you likies chapter 9! And I'm sorry if I kinda ruined your expectations for this chapter… Nyahahaha! Kenken is adorable. Thanks for chibi diary IV! The one where Ken, this time, steals a peck from Ran's cheek. Uber kawaii! Wooooooh, Kase is dangerous nowadays… We'll just have to see what my puny mind would dredge up, ne? Thanks SO much for the review and the fanarts! I totally wuv you! (huggles)

**HeatherR** Hmmm… about that bonding thing… Not sure how to do it yet… Oh well. And yeah, the full moon will happen next chapter so watch out for that… Or not… I still haven't written it yet. (bawls) Kase, Reiji and Masafumi are bad people? (blinks) … Nah, just kidding. The truth is, I just want to use these people instead of making up OCs that are just gonna die anyway. Yeah, Reiji turned out to be good… I just don't want Ken to suffer more… Maybe I should've used Persia…. Hmmm… (starts getting a headache) Hehe, I really should've researched more than just rely on the fics I've read. Oh well. It's the same! I suppose. They are people, after all. Attraction is imminent, heck, even love is possible between men. Yeah, homophobes out there should be convicted of their crimes against accurate/interesting history! (snickers) Oh, she's gonna work on submitting it to sites when she has the time. Thanks SO much for the review! (huggles)

**Chitoshiya no Tohma** … The dialogue I write between Ran and Ken is so pretty you could marry it! … Not if I get to it first! (starts giggling madly) Thanks! Oooh, Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code, eh? That book's cool! As for "The Opal Deception," well, it was cool too but… okay, okay, I won't spoil you. It wasn't Ran! Who/what was it then? Maybe they just slipped and fell and the wild woodland animals decided to snack on them on their way to wherever they're headed. Sex with Ken and be happy, the end? Cool! Maybe I could end this stupid fic with those exact words! Thankies! (snickers) 'Nyways, thanks for the reviewS! (huggles)

**Dark-One Shadowphyre** …. (blinks) … I never thought of it that way… Hmmm… Excellent theory though! (huggles) Cool too! (sigh) I wish I had more imagination… Ehehehe, my story made your bunnies breed? Gah, plot bunnies should be castrated and shot down! Err, gomen… My friend and I have this _thing _with plot bunnies. Hehe, I'm SO glad your bunnies have bred a Weiss AU plot! We can never have enough of Weiss AU plots! Wai! I do hope Kase is in your story as well… somehow… maybe as the talking headboard or something. See how much my imagination works? Gah. I'm SO gonna shut up now. Thanks SO much for the review! (huggles again)

**Horisont** Ehehehe, thanks SO much for liking my adaptation. It was a bitch to write, but the fluff moments (are there any?) make it fun. Ehehehe, thanks for saying that. I still have this nagging feeling that Ran and Ken (and pretty much _everyone _in this story) is WAAAAAAAAAAY too OOC. Uh oh. I think you're gonna kill me after reading this chapter. Gomen nasai! Oh, sorry too for taking too darned long. 'Nyways, thanks SO much for the review! (huggles)

**RosefaerietaleRed** Whoops, almost didn't include you there, hehe, gomen. 'Nyways, I hope Ran wasn't the killer too but Masafumi's murder was satisfying, don't you think? Ehehehe, gomen for corrupting you or something. Yeah, we'll find out eventually what happens next. Hexk, I dunno how to write the things I manage to envision. Geez. Thanks SO much for the review! (huggles)

To think that in a month's time, I'm turning 19. I'm getting old! Waaaaah!


	12. Part 11

Disclaimer: All characters mentioned belong in the animé series Weiss Kreuz. The plot is taken from the book _Scarlet Moon _by Debbie Viguié. Please don't sue me…?

WARNING: The end… is next chapter. You have been warned. And in the off chance that anyone would still insist on reviewing the last chapter (which will be the next chapter), PLEASE LEAVE AN e-mail add SO I COULD MAIL YOU MY REPLY TO YOUR REVIEW. If you've signed-in, 'tis ok. If you're an anonymous reviewer, PLEASE leave an e-mail add. Arigatou!

For Skyyler-sama, wuv you for being the best beta reader _ever_! (huggles)

**Scarlet Moon**

By _Ninetails_

_I have been waiting for you all night_

_Under the glow of the satellite_

Two-trick Pony by Sandwich

Chapter11

The trees were anxious; they looked down upon the young men in the woods and watched as the shorter one chained up the pale man with great and mighty chains. One of the trees volunteered his trunk as an anchor for the chains, but he did not believe they would hold.

The trees had seen the pale man before, and they knew what he was capable of. They knew that in his other form he had hurt the shorter man twice. They fretted for him and the light shining in his chocolate eyes, but there was nothing they could do. His course was set and he would not be swayed. The trees sighed mournfully.

* * *

_There is only the wolf now, there is no more me. Killing, fighting, hide who you are, but not forever. That person could help him, but that person wouldn't; and for that someone was going to pay._

* * *

"Are the chains tight enough?" Ken asked, testing them one last time.

"They feel secure now, but I do not know if they will hold once I am transformed."

"It's a chance we're just going to have to take," Ken admitted, even though he didn't like it.

"It would be safer if you left," Ran urged almost frantically, an anxious gleam in his purple eyes. "I don't want you to be hurt."

Ken shook his head emphatically. "We will never know for sure unless I stay and keep watch."

Ran leaned forward and kissed him, straining against the tight bonds on his chest. His lips lingered more than was necessary on Ken's as he gently caressed his love's petal lips with his tongue. "You are as wise as you are brave."

"You forgot beautiful," he teased as he slowly pulled away from those wicked lips.

"Well, that one was a given," Ran said, smirking. He looked up at the sky and his smile slowly faded. "The sun is going down."

"So it is," Ken murmured, looking at the darkening sky. He bent forward and kissed him avidly, lips working furiously against his, reveling in the slick heat of his lover. He prayed that it wasn't for the last time.

He then moved a little distance away, out of his reach, and sat down with his back to another tree. The first snow of the year had thawed and the ground was dry once more. He carefully wrapped his scarlet cloak around him, grateful for the protection it offered and only slightly saddened by the memory that it was his brother's armor that lined his cloak and kept him safe. Once seated, he pulled out his dagger and clutched it tightly in his hand.

Next to him on the ground was an extra change of his clothes. For modesty's sake, and for both their own sanity as well, Ran had foregone his usual practice of undressing before transformation.

"Don't forget, the wolf can sense fear," Ran said by way of a final caution.

As the light of the lingering sun left the sky, Ken felt a shock go through him. He shivered and turned his eyes to Ran.

He lay, body contorting and convulsing upon the ground. Ken bit his tongue to keep from screaming. He heard the sound of rending fabric, and soon gray tufts of fur began to peer through his clothes.

"Ran?" he whispered despite himself.

Ken heard the cracking of bones as his body reformed itself. Snarling and whimpering sounds that could not be made by a human came from the writhing form and Ken closed his eyes, unable to bear it any longer.

When the sounds had subsided, he opened his eyes to find that Ran was completely gone and in his place stood a large wolf. He shivered and involuntarily pressed his back harder against the tree, his body seeking an escape route.

When the animal threw back its head and howled at the moon already rising in the sky, it was the most frightening sound he had ever heard. He gasped as a shiver raced up his spine.

The wolf turned suddenly toward him, its large violet eyes on him. _Ran's eyes. I don't know why I never realized it before._

The wolf lunged at him, and with a scream he raised his knife up in front of him to protect himself. The chains held, though, and brought him up short. He strained at them, snarling and snapping not four feet from the brunette. His massive paws dug into the ground, tearing it up.

Ken wanted to scream but forced himself to try and remain calm. "All is well, Ran. Be still. It's only me, Ken, and you know I mean you no harm."

The creature continued to claw and snap, and despite his best efforts Ken began to remember what it was like when those same teeth had ripped chunks from his flesh and those same paws had slashed his legs.

"I am not afraid of you," he whispered, willing it to be true. "You are Ran, my love. You just need to be still and remember yourself."

The wolf stopped snarling for a moment and cocked its head, as though considering his words. He held his breath, praying that he had reached him. After a moment, though, he lunged at him again.

Then, just as suddenly, he gave up, turned, and ran the other way. The chain brought him up short again, with a yelp that pained Ken. He threw himself in that direction for only a moment before repeating the action in other directions.

Ken watched, fascinated. He didn't venture near him again, and for that he was very grateful. At long last the wolf lay down and closed its eyes.

"That's right, my beauty, just go to sleep. Rest and I'll wait here to keep watch."

* * *

He was tired. So tired of seeing the lost look on his love's face. Desperation tinged his features as day by day, answers to so many of his questions refused to be answered. Every day he would take him out for long walks, out to the village. No one was familiar to him. He then took him out riding and reached the far corners of his cousin's estates. Nothing was familiar to him.

Depression threatened to overwhelm his heart, but he would not give up the fight. He had to make his love's memories come back. He had to let his love's life come back.

No one else could help him. He didn't entrust any other one to, for they weren't as compassionate as he was to his love. Even his cousin was too occupied these days to offer much support. He gritted his teeth and steeled his heart. He had to let his love live his life again.

He was cut off his musings by a knock on the door and he wrenched his azure eyes away from his love's restlessly sleeping face. He walked over and cautiously opened the door to reveal a hooded figure.

Eyebrows wrinkling in confusion and trepidation, he allowed the figure to pass him and enter the room. Drawing his dagger from its sheath, he faced the stranger and demanded, "Who are you and why have you come here?"

The figure bowed low but didn't deign to reveal his features. He stayed near the door and slouched against the wall. "Milord, I am here to help."

Suspicion and no little amount of worry crossed his features as he eyed the stooped figure. Broad-shouldered and too tall for a lady, he judged the newcomer to be a man. Who was he? How did he know about him? And why have the palace guards allowed him to enter without proper warning or announcement?

"Who I am doesn't matter, young lord. What matters is the man who lies on the bed, sleeping fitfully. I know how to help him. Rather, I know someone who could help him."

Hope dawned on his features, hurriedly suppressed. He sheathed his dagger, but kept a hand on its hilt. "Speak, stranger."

"There is a woman who lives alone in the woods. She has been accused of vile things, not one of them true. She has researched on various sicknesses and their cures. I am certain that she may be able to heal your friend's ailment."

He considered the stranger's words. A woman? Alone in the woods? He gasped, vaguely recalling a rumor of a woman exiled from the village because of the accusation of her being a witch.

Tense silence descended upon the two as he pondered the man's rather disturbing suggestion. Was he willing to ask help from such a person?

His musing was once again disrupted by the occupant of the bed who started to thrash in his sleep. He went to him hurriedly and tried to soothe the man's desperate shaking. Another nightmare, perhaps?

He reached the man's side and soothingly stroked his long blonde hair, reveling in the warmth he emitted. He was so beautiful, yet the sadness in his emerald eyes pained him to tears.

His love started mumbling, incoherent words slipping out his mouth in rapid succession. He tried in vain to make sense of his ramblings, but the only thing he understood was "Manx."

Manx? Could it be someone who was related to him? Could it be a mother? A sister? A wife? Pain shot through his heart once more and tears threatened at his blue eyes, but the man's restlessness subsided, and he was sleeping once again.

He sagged to his knees beside the bed, weariness overcoming him. What was he to do? He then remembered the stranger and jerked back to the direction of the door.

No dark hooded figure was there.

Odd. He hadn't even heard the door open. Vaguely disturbed by the afternoon's happenings, he stood back up and decided upon a course of action. There was nothing to lose. He would take his love to visit this strange woman, and with luck, she may be able to restore his memory.

* * *

Ken woke with a start, light shining in his eyes. He sat up slowly, unable to remember where he was. When he saw the chains looped around one of the massive trees, he remembered.

"Ran!" he cried.

The wolf was gone.

He jumped to his feet and grabbed the end of the chain in his hand. One link had been gnawed clean through. "He's free," he whispered, horrified. Above him the trees moaned.

He turned and ran as fast as he could to his grandmother's house. The path seemed to stretch out forever, and behind him trees whispered, urging him to hurry. Somewhere close by a wolf howled, and he screamed.

Maybe this is it; maybe we will finish what we started so long ago. Maybe the wolf will kill me, but it won't be easy. He clutched the dagger even tighter in his fist.

When he reached the cabin he burst inside, panting. "Grandmother, something horrible has happened!"

"It certainly has," an unfamiliar voice snarled.

He turned and saw Kase, hovering over their grandmother's bed. He could barely recognize him, though. He was hunched over like an animal about to pounce, his face was twisted in a hideous snarl, and his eyes were enormous. In his hand he clutched a wolf's paw, and there were scratches on Manx's beautiful face, around the eyes, which must have come from the claws.

"You shouldn't have come."

"Kase, what are you doing?" Ken asked, overwhelmed.

"The old witch knows what I want but she won't give it to me! She hides secrets, magic, and she won't teach me."

"Kase, I've told you, there is nothing magic about what Grandmother does. It all revolves around study of the plants and animals."

"Quiet!" he bellowed. "That's just what you'd like me to think. Maybe you're hiding secrets from me too. _They were, _you know. They wouldn't tell me, even when I killed them."

"Ouka and Masafumi?" Ken asked.

"Yes. They died with the lies still in their teeth."

"I told you," Manx wheezed. "There are no secrets, no magic."

"Liar!" he shrieked. "There must be."

"Why do you want magic so badly?" Ken asked, slowly trying to approach him.

"To take it back to Jerusalem and use it to defeat our enemies and avenge us." His cousin was drenched in sweat, shaking with rage.

Manx shook her head weakly. "I could have taught you many things, Kase, but not this."

Kase raised the paw as though to swipe at her again.

Desperate, Ken called out, "Kase!"

"What?"

"Your eyes are so big. Have you taken any of Grandmother's medicines?"

"No," he snarled. "My eyes help me see in the dark the hidden things people don't want to know. Like your potential mate. My eyes help me see right through him, and I know his secrets."

_Remain calm; he can probably sense fear, _Ken told himself.

He glanced at his cousin's face again, trying to judge what he would do next. His lips were open and pulled slightly back from his teeth. _They look so sharp, like an animal's teeth. The only way they could look like that was if someone had filed them._

He remembered the files they used in the shop and felt a fresh wave of horror burst through him. _He thinks he's an animal!_

"Put down the wolf's paw," Ken said gently.

"Why? This is the paw of the wolf that we dragged from the forest nine years ago, the one that almost killed you."

"That wasn't the wolf that attacked me," Ken said before he could stop himself.

Just then a great gray ghost slipped into the cabin through the door that Ken had left open. "_He _is," he whispered, his mouth dry with fear.

Kase turned to look at the creature, and Ken took advantage of his momentary distraction to throw himself forward. He knocked the paw from his hand and brought his dagger up. Kase gripped his wrists and began to wrestle with him. Normally, they would have been a match in strength, but he was no match to the wolf's strength. Suddenly, Kase swept his foot behind his ankles and tripped him, sending him crashing to the floor. He landed with a gasp as all the air rushed out of his body, his knife sailing off into the air.

Kase leaped and managed to grasp it. With an animalistic roar, he dropped down and brought the dagger to bear on his chest. He tried to plunge the dagger in, but it went only the barest amount then stopped with a metallic clang.

_Youji's armor! _Ken thought wildly as he grabbed the hilt of his dagger and kicked upward into Kase's chest with all his might. _Grandmother was right that this cloak would save my life._

The kick was enough to send him flying, and he lost control of the dagger. Ken picked it up with a roar and was about to fling himself at him when a gray streak brushed past him.

He stood and watched in shock as the two fought each other: his Ran who had been cursed to take the form of a wolf, and his cousin who had taken on the mind of a wolf. With a roar they came together, locked in combat.

Within moments it was all over and the wolf stood above Kase, fangs dripping with blood. Ken's knees gave way beneath him and he collapsed onto the floor, unresponsive to the painful jar to his knees. The wolf turned to look at him and then stalked over toward him. He stared into his brown eyes for a long minute and then lay down on his feet, his head resting on his boots.

TBC

* * *

Author's Notes:

HeatherR, I hope you're happy. (snickers)

I'm SO sorry minna, but I wasn't able to write the marvelous, bloody, and extremely gory fight scene I originally imagined because… I'm still in a slump. My cousin was discharged from the hospital, but my grandfather was admitted so… Yeah.

What's with the 3rd person, you ask? Well, I just felt like it. And you all know who I was talking about, ne? Gah.

The end is near! Err, I mean, next! Whee!

* * *

Replies to Reviews (Chapter 11): There was a party last night (not mine!) so cakes for everyone!

**Moon without a Sun** Err, I think you pretty much have answers to your questions, ne? Or is it that you have more questions now than you have answers! Oh no! (bonks her head on a nearby wall) Gomen! Um, I hope this chappie is toned-down enough. I really should take pity on Manx and Ken, not to mention Ran. Hehe. Thanks for the review! (huggles)

**HeatherR** (snickers) I'm glad I only felt bad for one night; it didn't evolve into the flu or something. Nyahaha, thank goodness for antibodies! (did that sound weird?) Hmmm… Poor Manx; no where's safe anymore, ne? Ehehehe… Kenken treating Ran as his pet puppy… Wai! (drools) Demo, well, he's a werewolf, and they really can't control their animalistic urges so… (waaah, nothing hentai-y, mind!) 'tis is what happened instead. Oh, and I'm so sorry for taking too long again. has been down for a while so I wasn't able to update sooner. Oh well. Thanks for the review! (huggles you extra hard)

**Horisont** Ehehehe, yeah, Poor Grandma and Grandson. Thank you for not murdering me horrendously yet. I am forever in your debt. (snickers) I hope you liked this chappie as much as I hated it. Wait, err, um, gah, whatever! Aww, thanks SO much for the placation, but I still think they're too OOC, even for the story itself. I really didn't do the Weiss guys justice. Oh well. Thanks SO much for the review! (huggles)

**Olivia Yuy-Maxwell** Nyehehe, here's the full version of chapter 11! Hope you like! Thanks SO much for the beautiful fanarts and I'm gonna miss you SOOO much! Thanks for the review! (huggles)

**Dark-One Shadowphyre** Mou! (pouts) I huggle everyone all the time! Hehe… I'm still keeping my mouth shut (or I'm trying vainly not to type out spoilers) about what you said 'cause I'm pretty sure that the plot is clear and the intentions of everyone you mentioned (he's actually just one person, ne?) is revealed. Hehe, I hope you take heed of your (evil, despicable) plot bunny and write another AU Fantasy Weiss fic. Whew, that was long. (sigh) Plot bunnies are evil. Good thing I already mastered the art of ignoring them, even though they bite my toes when I'm not looking. Ouch. Oh, and SO sorry for sounding too pathetic concerning my age. I was teasing my best friend for turning 19 last month and it kinda got to me too. Gah. Thanks for the review! (huggles you again)

**Sachiko V** T.A. Barron's Merlin series? Hmm… haven't read that one. Ehehehe, I really, really wanted to update this fic on full moons but I figured everyone will be at my throat for taking too darned long. Oh well. Ran and Ken are LOVE! LOVE I say! Of course, I'd take Kenken for myself but I'm not really suicidal… yet. Hmmm… I hope Kase isn't a mystery to you anymore! (smirks) He really IS a bad guy. Or a demented one. About Youji… Gah, I'm really tempted to let him have a brain hemorrhage and die but something tells me not everyone's gonna be happy about it. Hmph. (sigh) More work for me, I guess. 'Nyways, don't stay up too late or tire yourself too much (even though I do it myself) and thanks for the review! (huggles)

**Seph Lorraine** … … … … Seph Lorraine reviewed me. Seph Lorraine liked my ficcie. (dies suddenly because she conveniently forgot that running smack dab into convenient walls while dancing around frantically and screaming "I LOVE YOUR FICS!" is not at all conducive to her health)

(here I go again) Please check out Olivia's wonderful RanKen fanarts at Deviant Art. The link's in my profile so go check it out. Thanks! (bows and bonks head on computer monitor)


	13. Part 12

Disclaimer: All characters mentioned belong in the animé series Weiss Kreuz. The plot is taken from the book _Scarlet Moon _by Debbie Viguié. Please don't sue me…?

WARNINGS: The end… is this. Finally, after a harrowing almost-three months, this darned fic is finished. It's too much of a YxO chappie though, so you have been warned. Please don't expect a sequel or even an epilogue. I won't have time write fics anymore (nor do I have the plot). And in the off chance that anyone would still insist on reviewing the last chapter, PLEASE LEAVE AN e-mail add SO I COULD MAIL YOU MY REPLY TO YOUR REVIEW. If you've signed-in, 'tis ok. If you're an anonymous reviewer, PLEASE leave an e-mail add. Arigatou! Oh, this is what you get when you insist on inhaling "Hershey's cookies n' crème nuggets." Yum!

And no, there's no smut here. Gomen.

This chapter is unbeta'ed yet, so there might be a few more revisions when I upload it again… Gomen nasai Skyyler-sama! (kowtows)

Scarlet Moon

By _Ninetails_

_These words are my own, they're from my heart_

_I love you, I love you, That's all I got to say_

_Can't think of a better way, and that's all I got to say_

_I love you, is that ok?_

-These Words by Natasha Bedingfield

Chapter12

The castle had been in a state of turmoil for over a week now. Omi's trip to the woods had been reluctantly moved to a later date because of the many preparations he needed to do for the special day. Ran had been the happiest he'd ever been in his life. In a few days' time, he and Ken would be legally bonded as lifemates, having had permission from the King and Lord Fujimiya himself.

He truly had never seen his cousin so happy. Ken was a blessing to their lives. He wasn't able to see him often though, for he was troubled by other thoughts. Rather, his thoughts were occupied with another man.

Youji's memory has increasingly become better. He now could recognize a few people from his life and a few more favorite spots in the village. He would even tell Omi stories of his stay in the Crusades, but often stopped when he saw the hurt in Omi's eyes. Tales of Youji's sufferings and sacrifice in a Holy War that brought nothing but pain and misery never failed to remind him of his own mission.

His love had gone though enough anguish the past few years. it was high time for him to have a family back – to have a life back. Omi knew that there was high risk of him losing Youji, but he was willing to forego anything else in favor of Youji's happiness.

A flurry of motion brought him back to his surroundings, offhandedly directing some of the gardeners as they arranged a few of the bouquets in the patio. Everything had to be perfect for the union of two of his favorite men.

He smiled, picturing Ken and his cousin living together in the castle. That endeavor would prove to be very interesting indeed. Then… he blinked. And blushed.

A worker approached him with a large vase in his hands, and he directed him to a few of the women who were pruning the flowers to be used in one of the bouquets in the grand hallway.

Before the night of the full moon, something seemed terribly off with his cousin. He would prowl restlessly around the castle, always seeming to gravitate back to the wall of the Fujimiya ancestors. Other times he would go out for hours on end.

Just a few days ago, he disappeared completely. This wasn't cause for too much alarm since he was quite used to his cousin's erratic tendencies, but this time around, the look in his violet eyes frightened Omi.

For the first time in his life, he saw fear in his cousin's eyes. It chilled him to the bones.

That night, he sought comfort in the presence of Youji, who wordlessly pulled him into his arms and soothed away his fears. He was trembling violently, and he couldn't seem to stop, but the warmth of Youji finally managed to assail his mini-hysteria.

There were no questions asked, and just yesterday, his cousin finally came back, tired but strangely serene. He longed to ask how Ken was doing, but he saw that his cousin still needed rest. Before he could set foot in his rooms, he accosted him and assured him that all matters concerning the next day would be taken care by him.

"And don't even try to get out of your room until tomorrow, Ran. I – "

"Omi," he answered with a tired smirk, "I'll rest, don't worry. By tomorrow I'll be as good as new. You don't have to do all the work yourself. God knows you've been exhausted already what with Youji all the other responsibilities you place upon yourself. Just go rest yourself and I'll see you tomorrow." With a final weary smile and a ruffling of his sandy hair, Ran entered his room and quietly shut the door.

Omi stayed there for a while, just staring at the intricate carvings upon the grain of the door. Ran should talk about taking on responsibilities! He rarely ever sleeps!

Shaking his head ruefully, he headed down to room, and took the detour to another door. He knocked on it, but hearing no noise on the other side, gently eased it open to see the dark figure huddled in the confines of the bed. There was no moon tonight, but the stars provided enough light to illuminate the beautiful face resting in silent repose.

With a gentle smile on his face, Omi silently closed the door and went to his room. Sleep, though, was slow in coming.

* * *

The next day shone bright and cheerful, at odds with Omi's mood. Today was the day he would finally find out who Youji really is. They would venture into the woods to find this fabled witch and ask for her help. Even if he readied himself for disappointment, he fervently wished that she would at least know of any information regarding Youji.

He decided to let them walk. This way, Youji would get the exercise he insists on having, and it would prolong their being together. After all, there was no saying what today would bring.

They talked about the upcoming event, him hastily explaining who Ken was and how he and Ran met. "Well, I have to say that it was quite a surprise with me. Once you meet Ken though, I'm sure you'll like him too."

"I'm sure I will," Youji answered distractedly. He glanced back to see Omi slowly climbing over an upturned tree root. He sighed and called out, "Omi, hurry up! You're taking too long! I didn't know you were this girly." At the furious pout of the boy behind him, Youji gave out a hearty laugh.

Omi glared at the other man, silently fuming at his shaking form. _He sounds like he's suffocating. I hope he chokes to death, _was his vindictive thoughts.

Finally the man's giggling fit died down much to Omi's relief. If he hadn't stopped, he was sure to develop wrinkles in his young age. Youji sauntered over to him with a cocky smile and slowly drew him close. His hot breath fanned over his face as he whispered, "Don't worry, Omi. I know how much of a man you are."

His eyes widened as he felt soft lips slide against his own, the feeling leaving him stunned and strangely lightheaded. Youji's lips slowly caressed his bottom lip and he tried hard to suppress his whimpers of delight. He couldn't stop the moan from leaving, though, as a hot tongue slid between the cleft of his lips to delve deep into him, leaving trails of fire _everywhere_.

It was too much sensation, and he was slowly drowning, feeling as if he would be lost forever if this didn't stop right _now_. He pulled his hands from Youji's neck down to his chest as he tried to push away from his intoxicating embrace, arms too weak to do much more than create only a small space between them. Youji took the hint though.

Reluctantly, he ended the kiss, pulling away from the smaller boy as he trembled from the sensations coursing through his body. He observed the other discretely, noting his inflamed face and his harsh breaths as he tried to compose himself. when he was finally ready, he glared at Youji once again before stomping through the woods in a hurried face.

Youji shook his head. Omi was just too adorable.

He followed the furious boy at a more sedate pace, relishing their moment spent together. He still felt the large blank in his memory eat away at his consciousness, leaving him to feel nonexistent. When he tried hard enough, though, he would get images of a dry arid land and the people he met and fought with there. Memories of long ago plagued his every waking moments. Images of a small boy in a red cloak assailed his vision, a bright smile, a rakish grin; he longed to know who he was, what he has been. He needed to know in order to get back to his life.

Following a worn path, they reached a clearing where a shabby cabin rested almost crookedly on the ground. He stopped walking and cocked his head to the side, feeling as though this house _should _be something he was very familiar with. as if someone he knows lives there.

"Youji! Come on! Stop dallying and get here," Omi said almost harshly, worry and uncertainty plaguing his features. He couldn't help but smile at the endearing sight.

He briskly walked to the front of the cottage and rapped on the door, listening for any sound coming from within. He knocked again twice, feeling strangely frustrated. Behind this door are the answers to the questions of his past. He felt Omi directly behind him as he struggled with the door. He had to get in there somehow.

Suddenly, he started walking to the back, where he instinctively knew that a window was always left open. Omi followed him, silent till now, as he carefully made his way amidst the various herbs planted in neat rows. Finally reaching the desired window, he glanced back at Omi and winked as he slowly pried it open. He then gestured for Omi to enter, much to the boy's gawking surprise.

"What? You expect me to enter this house without the owner's permission? Youji – !"

"Omi, don't worry too much. I'm sure that whoever lives in this house expects no one else to know about this window except someone close to her. Since I somehow know about it, there is a chance that this lady of yours is actually someone I know."

He watched the conflict in Omi's blue eyes as the boy pondered the idea of violating someone's home. He then looked up into his green eyes and saw something in them that put determination into his own. "All right then, I suppose I might as well. But once word of this gets out, I'll – "

He was cut off by a chaste kiss upon his lips. "Don't worry, Omi. Everything will be alright."

The boy turned back to the window, and he was thankful of his slight build for he barely made it past the opening. Once he was inside, he hastily went to the front of the house to unlock the bolted door. Youji was on the front step with a rakish grin, and he longed to wipe it from his face, even though the expression looked mighty fitting on him.

Together they explored the tiny house, wondering at the various bottles and jars littered among the shelves. There was one chart pinned on the wall that caught Omi's attention. "Youji, look, this is a – "

"A star chart," Youji whispered, tenderly trailing his fingers at the strangely familiar map.

He heard a gasp from behind him and saw Omi bend down to pick up what looked to be a wolf's paw. It was bigger than his own hand and the claws have faint traces of red.

_That wolf's paw. It looks too familiar. It has something to do with the boy in the red coat. Someone killed that wolf because of him. Someone I should know…_

"Kase."

* * *

Kase was buried quietly, one last victim of the wolf attacks. Ken himself told the villagers how Kase had bravely fought the wolf, and that each had mortally wounded the other. His father took the truth hard, but he understood and accepted it. He also accepted Ran, though it was clear his fears had only multiplied.

His grandmother was fully recovered. Before Ken had made it back to the cottage, Manx had managed to drag herself from her bed and treat her remaining injuries, including taking something to restore her voice.

It had been Kase who had attacked her, sure that she was a witch and trying to kill her when she told him she had no secrets to share with him. He had been using the wolf's paw as a weapon – an extension of himself and a symbol of his slide from sanity. In the end Ken believed his cousin had truly seen himself as an animal.

_It has been a traumatic couple of weeks, but at least Father, Grandmother, Ran, and I are all together now, and we are all safe._

He smoothed his hands down the smooth material of his shirt. _And through it all this outfit had been made for my union with my beloved. I wonder how it fits me so perfectly. Maybe Ran had something to do with it… _

He still couldn't quite believe everything that was happening. The unknown future stretched out before him like a dark forest. Thanks to Ran, though, he had gotten over his fear of dark forests. So, although he still felt uncertain, he didn't feel afraid. He, after all, was loved.

_I don't know if I'll ever feel like a Lord, _he thought as he climbed down the stairs toward the great hall. _But I've got a lifetime to try. _

It was two hours before the ceremony, and he had managed to escape the attendants Ran assigned to him just yesterday. At least, for a moment. In the great hall he saw his grandmother deep in conversation with Ran.

"We may never know who killed the tanner," Manx said just as Ken walked up.

His grandmother turned and beamed at him. "There you are, dear, and you look gorgeous."

A slight blush suffused his cheeks. "Thank you."

Ran reached for his hand. "I was telling your grandmother that I remember everything from the last wolf cycle – the chains, the fight, everything. Now that I can remember, I should be able to slowly start to control myself again."

"Does that mean your passion for me is waning already?" Ken teased a now smirking Ran.

"On the contrary," he said, violet eyes burning with fire. "My love for you has given me the strength to be a better man, even a better wolf. In time maybe I'll have more control over the whole process than ever."

"Oh no, that will not do at all," Manx said with a sly grin. "That is why I have brought you two the perfect wedding present."

"What is it?" Ken asked eagerly, an excited gleam shining in his brown eyes.

Manx smiled enigmatically and Ken suppressed a groan, knowing what that look meant. She then turned and removed one of the portraits from the wall. Ken noted with interest that it was the portrait of the man who had brought the curse down upon Ran's family.

Ken and Ran exchanged puzzled looks as Manx walked across the room, a mischievous glint in her blue eyes. "Grandmother, what are you going to do?"

Without answering, Manx suddenly threw the portrait upon the fire. Ken flew forward with a cry, but Ran stopped him with a firm but gentle hand on his arm. Together, they watched as the painting burned. At last it was gone, little more than soot and ashes, and Ken turned to look at the wall where it had hung.

"Look!" he gasped.

Ran spun around, and he saw it too. "They all look different, changed somehow."

Manx smiled as she turned back from the fire. "They are, and so are you, Ran."

He turned completely white.

"Ran, what is it?" Ken demanded, totally bewildered. He started to tug at the taller man's hand that still held his arm.

Ran stayed completely still for a long moment, and Ken feared the worst. Images of a wolf Ran morphing into a more hideous creature assailed his thoughts as he watched the stunned look on his beautiful face.

Finally, he turned to face Manx, slowly clasping Ken's hand in his own as he answered, "You're right, I can feel it. the curse is gone," he whispered fiercely. "The curse is gone!" he shouted, pulling Ken into a fierce hug. The air was abruptly squeezed from his lungs and Ken felt light headed, from giddiness, or lack of air, he wasn't too sure.

Trying vainly to untangle himself from Ran's vice-like hug, Ken asked, "How do you know?"

He looked deeply into his eyes, warmth radiating between them as he softly answered, "I know. I can feel it."

A surge of love and joy washed through Ken. The days stretched ahead of them filled with sunlight, and the shadow was finally gone. All doubts flew out of his mind as he kissed Ran with all the passion in his heart, and he kissed him back, velvet tongue slowly prying his lips open, delving in them to mingle their tastes, their passion, their love.

As he slowly pulled back, he rested his forehead on Ken's as he stared deeply into his eyes, emotion passing wordlessly between them. "Nothing can ever come between us," Ran whispered hoarsely against his lips.

Ken laughed, the sound a delight to those who heard it. At last he turned to his grandmother, who stood watching with a twinkle in her eyes ang a slight blush to her smooth cheeks.

"Grandmother, how did you do it? How did you break the curse?"

"Magic."

* * *

Yesterday was a big disappointment for him. Omi was fairly sure that the answers to Youji's affliction would be answered in that cottage in the woods. Bits and pieces of his memory seemed to come back, but at a very slow pace. And now, at the onset of his cousin's union with his love, he was unhappy.

Those two were strangely missing, only two hours before the ceremony starts, and he himself was busy with last-minute preparations. A few of the lords present were complaining loudly of the lack of proper courtesy by some of the servants. A few noblewomen were standing around, showing off their magnificent gowns, and getting in the way of the bustling servants. He looked around for a familiar figure. Youji was just off to the side, looking resplendent in a dark green coat artistically full of silver embroidery that set off his emerald eyes. He looked back at him and his heart warmed at the small smile he received.

He turned back to the task at hand, sneaking a few glances at the gates where carriages drove by in a steady stream. She was late, as usual, probably meaning to make a grand entrance. he sighed. He just hoped that Ran would like the little surprise he had arranged.

Minutes passed and he spied a distinct black carriage with the Fujimiya's red wolfhead painted on the door. He gave a hearty laugh and hurried to meet the advancing coach. He felt a presence near him and beamed as Youji accompanied him. As they approached the black carriage, the door burst open and a lady hastily jumped down and ran straight to him. He barely readied himself for the tight hug that Aya bestowed upon him.

"Omi! I'm so glad to see you again!" she gushed breathlessly as she clung to a barely-breathing Omi. She gave him another wide grin, blue eyes showing her joy, as she carefully observed him. "My, you've grown, cousin. Dare I say that the ladies are lining up just to be with you?" she asked with a coy wink.

He blushed, finally able to be free of her tight hold as he tried hard not to blush at the steady stare he could feel behind him. He tried to answer her swift questioning and she finally turned to look at the man who, until now, stood silently behind them.

Her eyes light up at the handsome sight and Omi couldn't help the light frown on his face as Youji gave her his trademark grin. He hastily cleared his throat and made hasty introductions. "Youji, this is Lady Aya Fujimiya, Ran's sister and my cousin. Aya, this is Youji, our guest."

They started chatting on about trivialities and Omi resigned himself to walking a little behind them, regularly checking the proceedings of the preparations. They searched the castle for signs of Ran or Ken as Omi told her the whole story, at least, as he knew it to be. At last Aya spied him standing in the great hall with another man and a woman.

She hastily approached him, running securely into his arms. They followed at a more sedate pace, grinning at the reunion of the Fujimiya siblings.

A sudden loud gasp cut their joy short as Ken, who stayed silent up until then, hoarsely whispered, "Youji," before approaching the man beside him.

* * *

It was like a dream, an insane dream, a good dream. On the day that he was to be the happiest man alive, his brother is here, alive. He felt everything slow down around them, the only real thing the image of his brother right before him. _How could this be?_

He felt his grandmother just behind him, and he slowly lifted a hand to feel his warmth, his life. His hand cupped the smooth cheeks as he looked deeply into green eyes, seeing the wonderment in them. he couldn't hold back the tears that fell unbidden as he embraced him, finally feeling the security only his brother's arms could give. He choked back a sob as he felt gentle arms wrap around him, pulling him closer to the warmth.

They stayed that way for long moments, reacquainting to each other, as their grandmother cried silent tears of happiness at the beautiful sight of her two grandsons.

Ken finally pulled back, his tears dried on his brother's coat, just in time to see the beautiful smile Youji bestowed upon him. He saw the realization dawning in his eyes and upon those smiling lips came the most beautiful words he had ever heard. "I am home, my brother."

* * *

The ceremony was a rather swift affair, they only had to sign a few documents and be granted the blessing of the Archbishop. The feast soon after was an event that would be talked about for weeks. The food prepared by the master chef were lavish enough for a king's court, and the main dish consisted of a stuffed peacock decorated by its beautiful feathers and the stuffing rolled into egg shapes that were painted gold and green.

Ken's family reunited was full of long embraces and heartfelt tears. Reiji himself was busy wiping away his tears at the sight of his oldest son. As they sat at a long table, Omi related to them how he rescued his brother from a sure death and how he tried to restore his memory. Ken felt the urge to bash himself at all the near-misses he had made. His brother was in the castle all along! He chanced a look at Omi to see a brooding look that looked at odds with his features. _Was something the matter?_

Ran observed all this with a slight smile, enjoying all of Ken's expressions. He would then look back at his little sister and enjoy the smile she gave to him, finally relieved to see him happy. He felt that she knew about the breaking of the curse, and he was very happy to finally be reunited with all those he love. He felt a slight tug on his hand and looked back to see Ken gesturing between his brother and Omi. Ran frowned.

He knew that his little cousin has feelings for the older man. He was also certain that those feelings were returned. Now that Youji has regained his memory, would he still remember?

His fears were allayed when he saw the older man give his cousin a gentle smile, and almost laughed at the fervid blush and embarrassed look Omi sported almost the whole of the feast.

When finally the feast wound down and only a few noblemen were left to finish their wine, he tightly embraced his sister and excused himself and Ken from the table, giving his cousin an uncharacteristic wink. He smirked at the blush that followed as he saw Youji's arm sneaking behind Omi's back.

Hearty "Good nights" and knowing smiles followed their retreat as he half-dragged Ken to their new room. He met slight resistance and when he turned around, Ken had a slightly peeved look on his face. It made him just that more adorable.

"Ran, we shouldn't have left our own feast," he chastised lightly, twining their hands together to show that he wasn't as displeased as he sounded.

"It was as good as over, Ken. Now that our problems are over, we should let them resolve theirs." At his look that followed, Ken understood the meaning behind his words. he nodded slowly, understanding that his brother and Omi needed to work out a few more things with his father and grandmother.

"Besides," Ran continued, voice getting more huskier. Ken felt his blood fire up at the heated look directed at him by violet eyes. "I want you all to myself now."

And with those words, he was hastily swept up off his feet and found himself carried by Ran, bridal-style, into their room. He nibbled at his pale neck, all other things pushed at the back of his mind. _After all, who could resist those words? _He had waited long years for his brother to come back, too long to gain his grandmother's acceptance of the village. He too had wanted to meet with Ran's sister, and to –

His thoughts were cut short by the intrusion of a slick tongue into his lips. He moaned, feeling their passions rise as he hungrily answered Ran's furious kiss. Everything else could wait. For now, he was to spend time with the man he was bonded to for eternity. He pulled back briefly to whisper a fervent "I love you" as Ran laid him gently on the bed. He was answered with a kiss that instantly took his breath away.

_Yes, everything else could wait. What matters is the here and now, together with my Ran. _He moaned as his love's kisses steadily went lower his exposed chest and he clutched at his scarlet hair, feeling the blood-red silkiness flow through his fingers. Ran went back up to kiss him, pouring out all the promises of love and affection in that one single contact. And as he pulled away, violet meeting brown, a wordless pledge of forever echoing in the vastness of their entwined souls (was made).

Owari... Really.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Gah, this was horrible! Horrible! It's not even long! Argh! I'm SO sorry minna! I'll revise it once I have the time, but don't get your hopes up in regards to the improvement of this last chapter. I'm simply too stupid. Oh well. (shrugs)

Erm, why, you ask, didn't Omi just ask around Ken's village? Well, without Youji and Omi's scenes, this chappie would be three pages long. Really.

And I hate dorm life. Really. I was crying the first three nights I was there. No privacy, no freedom, no family, no life. Geez. Oh well. Gotta concentrate on finishing my second year of college. See you around, minna. I'll miss you all! (huggles)

* * *

Replies to Reviews (Chapter 11): You people are the best _ever_. Your reviews and comments (and a few veiled threats) were the motivators for this fic. I love you all so much! Thank you for sharing this wonderful experience with me. God I sound so pathetic. A celebratory piece of cake for everyone!

**Moon without a Sun** Err, are your questions answered now? I hope so! (beams) How did Kase become a wolf? Well, when he became demented or something, he felt that he as a wolf is all-powerful, enough to seek retribution from his tormentors in the Crusades. Or something. Gah. Gomen, can't think right now. It's almost 2 in the morning. Ehehehe.. 'Nyways, thanks SO much for the wonderful review! (huggles you)

**HeatherR** Waaah! I'm SO sorry! I tried to make it as long as I could, but it was only around 9 pages! Gah! I'm SO sorry! No time to write these past few weeks. Gah. I'm so uninspired. Ehehehe… wolves mate for life, ne? I vaguely recall hearing it in a Discovery documentary… or something. Such an interesting fact (wiggles eyebrows). Aww, there wasn't any tummy rubbing in this last chapter… Gomen nasai! Hontou ni gomen nasai! Yeah, he wasn't really the murderer. He is the, as a matter of fact. Ru-chan pointed it out. Ehehehe… getting sidetracked. Wait, there's no point in ramblings, is there? Gah. Can you see how unstable my mind is right now? Ugh. I hate dorm life. Oh, and my Grandfather's ok, he's just a bit weaker than he used to be, though. He is 74 after all. But we love him anyway… err, did that came out wrong? Gah. I couldn't get sick! No! I wouldn't dare missing even a single day of class! Gah, the pressure is killing me! Err, you didn't need to know that, ne? I'm SO sorry! Hope you liked this chapter. If not, I'm SO sorry! Waaah! Thanks for the review! (huggles you extra hard)

**Seph Lorraine** … (starts to go into a state of shock… again) Oh. My… Ahem, that last line was adorable, ne? I loved it too. I was just a bit disturbed 'cause Ran's head _is _on Ken's _boot_. Ehehehe. (sweatdrops) Wait… did I just write fluff! Iyaaaa! Err, gomen, I was debating with Elana-chan about whether angst or fluff is better… I'm on angst's side, of course. That didn't make sense, did it? (tries to hide under chair) Ehehehe, don't worry too much about coming late in this fic. As long as you people like it, I'm uber ecstatic. Ugh, I feel so horrible. This chapter isn't up to par with the previous ones. Guess I should've stuck to tree-writing, ne? (snickers) Ehehehe, don't worry, I'm particularly careful around walls these days. Especially glass ones. That'd be twice the embarrassment. I love your fics! I really liked "Together" and I can't wait for August! (hinthint) Wah! I'm sorry if I embarrassed you! I'll just give you an extra big huggle! Thanks for reviewing!

**Ru-chan** Ehehehe, I was feeling too lazy to draw out the fight scene… Gomen nasai! Oh, that wasn't what you were expecting? I read this short story in Isaa Asimov's "Werewolf" about a man who appeared to be what anyone thought him to be. His wife thought him to be a madman, so to her, he was. His comrade thought him to be the same comrade he fought with in the war, and he was. but he himself thought him to be the monster he was, so he was a werewolf. It was an ingenious theory for the werewolf. Or something. Gah, I feel so woozy. Aww, thanks so much for the comfort! My Grandfather and cousins are all fine now, it's just the usual sunny-rainy season sickness. Thankies SO much for the review! (huggles you extra hard)

**miserene** Hehe, thanks so much! I'm SO sorry for updating two weeks too late! I wasn't lazy, really. My dorm just sucks. Gah. So sorry. I hope you're not too disappointed with this last chapter! (huggles you extra hard)

**RosefaerietaleRed** (blinks) It was a cliffie! (tries to wrack currently snoozing brain) Oh, I guess it was. Gomen for that! Aww, I'm really sorry too for ending this fic like this, but I really have no time to write more. Wah! I miss my old life already! Gah. I'm such a crybaby. Oh well. I hope you won't be too disappointed with this ending. Thanks SO much for the review! (huggles you extra hard)

**Dark-One Shadowphyre** … (edges away from Shadowphyre) Please don't impersonate anything from the Wizard of Oz! Waaah! (runs away screaming) … Nah, just kidding, ehehehe. I'm glad you liked how things turned out. I was kinda worried that someone out there protests Kase's abrupt and brutal ending. (looks around furtively) Hmmm… about that fanart… I e-mailed you a few weeks back so… yeah, just check your mail. I hope you like the entirety of this last chappie! Eh, "Expect to read out merfolk before too long?" Gomen, I'm completely lost with that statement. Mind ain't working. It's not almost 2:30 in the morning. Gah. Thanks SO much for liking chapter 11 and thanks for the review! (huggles you extra hard)

**artemis347** Hehehe, thanks SO much for thinking the fluff scenes were cute! Wai! I'm glad you read Boys Next Door. It was completely creepy and angsty but even though I hate death, err, mangas, it was a good read. Lawrence is simply beautiful! (drools) Wai! I'm glad you read Midare too! (drools harder) Wait… how old are you? (looks at you suspiciously) Oh well, I'm not one to complain. I read my first lemon when I was 14. But you didn't need to know that. Whatshisname (the lead character) is SO cute! But I think Fujimaru was too girly. Geez. The guy who looked almost like him was absolutely adorable! Wai! (drools harder still) Ehehehehe.. gomen. Are you into Naruto? Go check out the doujin scans in zettai-hentai… Aww, this is the last chapter of Scarlet Moon and I hope I didn't disappoint you too much. Thanks SO much for the review! (huggles you extra hard)

**OliviaYuyMaxwell** Aww, yeah, since they love each other so much, they're willing to overcome almost impossible odds just to be with each other. And I have this insane feeling that I'm spouting crap… again. Gomen, it's already 2:30 in the morning. Gah. Thank you SO SO much for the beautiful fanart you showed me! I might not be able to do that promised fic anytime in the near future, but I swear I'm gonna churn it out. Just please have a LOT of patience! (draws out the big guns: puppy-dog eyes) I'M SO SORRY! Waaah! Hehehe.. hope to mail you again soon… but you know my life right now. Gah. I hate it. Oh well. Thanks SO much for the review! (huggles you extra hard)

I just realized that I'm turning 19 in less than a week's time. Gah. I am old. Um, sorry for offending anyone out there (hides under convenient… towel). Oh, Happy Fathers Day everyone! (or rather, to all your fathers. It's already June 19 here so…)


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